GENERAL

  • What is professional indemnity insurance?
  • Protection against claims made against you as a result of allegations of professional negligence. Cover includes legal defence costs (incurred with insurer’s prior agreement) and any damages awarded. Claims for negligence can be made against any company providing professional services. Cover for professional indemnity is provided for claims brought within the policy period only, please see our claims page or contact us for more information.

    • What is public liability insurance?
    • Protection against claims for legal liability in respect of accidental bodily injury to third parties, or damage to third party property arising in the course of your business activities.

       

    • What is employers' liability insurance?
    • Protection against claims from employees for legal liability in respect of injury or disease which arise in the course of their work and for which you are responsible. Employers’ liability insurance is a compulsory insurance for all employers with limited exceptions in law.

       

    • Why do I need employers' liability if I do not employ anyone?
    • In addition to the fact that employers’ liability may be a legal requirement for you to hold, most clients will include this insurance as a standard contractual obligation so cover has been included to help comply with these requirements. The Kingsbridge package of insurance will also cover you if you employ a spouse or close family member in an administrative or clerical role.

    • Why should I have continuous cover?
    • Professional indemnity cover operates on what is referred to as a “claims made basis”. Essentially you need to have a policy in force at the time the claim is made against you. As soon as your policy lapses your cover under this section will cease. Any claims made against you for past work will no longer be indemnified.

      This is particularly important if you are still contracting but find yourself without a contract – we advise that professional indemnity is a long term commitment and should be maintained at all times.

      If you close your company or retire you can buy “run off” cover to provide a long term extension to the existing policy – this will allow indemnity for between three and six years after you retire or close down the company ensuring security for both you and your clients. This cover must be purchased before your policy lapses.

      For further advice on this please contact us on 01242 808740.

    • Will I be covered for sickness or non-work related accidents?
    • No this scheme includes occupational personal accident cover which only applies if you are injured at work.

       

    ELIGIBILITY

    • My company is not UK registered, can I still take out cover?
    • No sorry – all companies must be UK registered.

    • Does your cover meet the requirements of my professional body?
    • The Kingsbridge policy is a general insurance arrangement designed to cover a wide range of occupations. It is not possible to match the requirements of each and every professional body. If you are maintaining some form of practicing certificate or have to meet minimum standards of insurance cover as part of your membership of a professional body then it might not be suitable. You will need to make your own enquiries with your professional body to establish any minimum criteria, this will assist you in your decision. If you need more help in this then please contact us once you have established your requirements.

       

    • Are there any excluded occupations?
    • All of our exclusions are listed on our Key Facts and Combined Wording documents which can be found in the documents section of our website. If these are applicable to the work that you do then you should consider your requirements carefully before committing to buy.

      We may be able to provide cover for short trips to the USA or Canada, but you need to refer to us with full details – all enquiries in this regard should be addressed to the new business team on 01242 808740 or emailed to enquiries@kingsbridge.co.uk. This additional cover can be added at any point during the policy term (if acceptable to Insurers) but no rebate will be given for a shorter time period. If any additional cover is purchased, a separate invoice and endorsement will be issued via post.

    • Can I still have cover if I work abroad?
    • As long as you maintain your UK residency and your company is UK registered then the policy covers you worldwide, with the exception of the USA or Canada. This can be added as an additional bolt-on.

       

    • I employ my spouse or a family member in an administrative function can I still take out cover under the scheme?
    • Yes. Kingsbridge recognises that many contractors employ their spouse or family members in administrative or clerical roles and allow for this within the package of insurance.

    • Who are Kingsbridges' approved IR35 status reviewers?
    • The taxes, interest and penalties sections of the IR35 Protect policy is only active once you have successfully passed an IR35 status review. If you get a review from one of our approved reviewers below, any claims will be automatically defended. If the review is unsuccessful, please contact us immediately. If your engagement experiences any material changes or you undertake a new contractual agreement, then you must complete a new status review to ensure the IR35 covers remain valid.

    POLICY SETUP

    • How do I purchase insurance?
    • Click on the “Get a Quote” link and complete each screen in full or alternatively, you can contact a member of our new business team on 01242 808740 who will be more than willing to help. You will be asked for some basic details and bank information and will be able to buy cover immediately.

       

    • What documents will I receive?
    • You will be emailed a policy schedule, policy wording and employers’ liability certificate immediately after you purchase. The schedule confirms the levels of cover and can be used by you to confirm your cover arrangements to agencies and clients.

       

    • Can I get duplicate documents?
    • Yes, please contact us with your company name and month of inception and we will email a copy to you immediately. Alternatively, log in to the Member Account, where you have the option to resend your documents.

    • Can I reduce the cover levels?
    • No sorry, the policy has been arranged to suit a wide range of contractor occupations and designed to cover every incident that may occur.

    • When does my cover begin?
    • Unless you choose to forward date inception (up to 45 days) the cover will begin immediately.

       

    • Can I cancel my policy mid-term?
    • Unfortunately, you can’t cancel your policy halfway through your agreed term unless you are closing your limited company business (and you can provide evidence of this) or you hold a policy written by QBE (Cyber Liability).

    • Can I amend my details mid-term?
    • All personal details can be amended throughout the policy by either logging into your account online or contacting our client services team on 01242 808740. We can then reissue your policy schedule if needed.

    • What happens if I stop working?
    • If you close your company or retire you can buy “run-off” cover to provide a long term extension to the existing policy – this will allow indemnity for between 3 and 6 years after you retire or close down the company, ensuring security for both you and your client-base. This cover must be purchased before your policy lapses. For further advice on this, please contact us on 01242 808740.

    • Am I covered for fines and penalties under my Legal Expenses Plus policy?
    • The taxes, interest and penalties sections of your Legal Expenses Plus policy is only active once you have successfully passed an IR35 status review from one of our approved reviewers below.

    PAYMENTS

    • What payment methods are available?
    • We have a number of payment options available. Policyholders can choose to pay in a full, single payment by credit or debit card, or alternatively, set up a monthly direct debit finance agreement using an account number and sort code. Finance is available over 10 months on a Direct Debit basis by entering into a credit agreement managed by Close Brothers Premium Finance.

       

    • Can I recover the VAT?
    • VAT is not paid on this insurance and is therefore not recoverable.

       

    • What is Insurance Premium Tax?
    • Insurance Premium Tax, also known as IPT is a Government levy charged on most classes of insurance. The current level of IPT is 12% and the premiums quoted are inclusive of this amount.

       

    SECURITY

    • Is it safe to enter my details online?
    • Yes. All data entered into this site is held by Kingsbridge in a secure database (with the exception of your bank details, which are not held by us – apart from a few digits to identify) and shall not be shared with any third parties except for the participating Insurers. All webpages during the purchasing process are encrypted with a 256 bit encryption key (where supported by your browser, lower levels of encryption will be used on older browsers). To view the certificate to check its authenticity, please double click the padlock in your browser and click “View Certificate”. This can be found at the bottom of the browser window in Internet Explorer 5/6 or next to the address bar in Firefox, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer 7 and above. All Direct Debit bank details and payments taken online are dealt with securely by Close Brothers Premium Finance and credit and debit cards are processed securely by Sage Pay. For more information on Close Brothers Premium Finance, visit their website at www.closebrotherspf.com and for Sage Pay visit www.sagepay.com.

       

    COMPLAINTS

    • How can I make a complaint?
    • Many concerns can be resolved straight away therefore in the first instance please get in touch with:

      Kingsbridge Contractor Insurance
      9 Miller Court
      Tewkesbury
      Gloucestershire
      GL20 8DN

      Website – www.kingsbridge.co.uk
      Telephone – 01242 808740
      E-mail – info@kingsbridge.co.uk

      If your problem cannot be resolved in this way, Kingsbridge Contractor Insurance will then advise you of our complaint handling procedure.

      The Financial Ombudsman Service (ombudsman)
      If we are unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction within eight weeks or if you remain dissatisfied following receipt of our final response letter, you may be able to ask the ombudsman to formally review your case. You must contact the ombudsman within six months of our final response.

      The ombudsman contact details are as follows:

      Financial Ombudsman Service
      Exchange Tower
      London
      E14 9SR

      You can telephone for free on:
      08000 234 567 for people phoning from a “fixed line” (for example a landline at home)
      0300 123 9 123 for mobile-phone users who pay a monthly charge for calls to numbers starting 01 or 02

      or e-mail: complaint.info@financial-ombudsman.org.uk

      This is a free and impartial service and you are entitled to contact the ombudsman at any stage of your complaint.

      The ombudsman can help with most complaints if you are:

      • a consumer
      • a business employing fewer than 10 persons that has an annual turnover or balance sheet that does not exceed £2 million
      • a charity with an annual turnover of less than £1 million
      • a trustee of a trust with a net asset value of less than £1 million.

      If you are unsure whether the ombudsman will consider your complaint or for more information please contact the ombudsman directly, or visit https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

      If you purchased your policy online you can make a complaint through Online Dispute Resolution (ODR). This is an initiative from the European Commission that helps European Union (EU) residents, who have bought goods or services online, get complaints resolved. It is designed mainly to assist where the customer is in one EU country and the company that supplied the goods or services is in another but can be used when you are in the same country as the supplier. You can submit a complaint in any of the official languages of the EU through the ODR website which can be accessed at https://ec.europa.eu.

      The ODR platform can then submit your complaint to the UK Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) to get your complaint resolved.

      When using the ODR website the following information should be used:
      Company name: Kingsbridge Risk Solutions Ltd t/a Kingsbridge Contractor Insurance
      Email address: info@kingsbridge.co.uk
      Website address: www.kingsbridge.co.uk
      Address: 9 Miller Court, Tewkesbury GL20 8DN

    Who can I contact if I would like more information?

    You are already visiting our site – this is our first stop for more information.

    If you can’t find what you need on this website or for specific enquiries, please use our ringback form, email info@kingsbridge.co.uk or speak to a member of our team on 01242 808740.