INSTANT QUOTE ONLINE
You will need:
1. Your ABN
2. An estimate of your Yearly Income (How do I calculate this?)
Why Do NDIS Support Workers Need Insurance?
With the introduction of the NDIS, more people with disability now receive funding to access the support they need. This allows them to work with support workers who help with daily tasks, community access, and achieving personal goals.
Support work comes with real risks. Whether you are self-employed, working independently, or part of an organisation, you are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of the people you support. Each time you go to work, there is a chance that something could go wrong.
As an independent disability or aged care support worker, you often make decisions on behalf of participants. If a mistake happens, you could be held legally responsible.
At a minimum, most support workers should have:
- Public Liability Insurance
- Professional Indemnity Insurance
Other covers, such as Personal Accident Insurance are optional but may be helpful depending on your work.
Consider this: You are having a hectic day with a huge amount of pressure and responsibility - perhaps there is usually a family member to help you, but today they are absent. By mistake, you give the wrong amount of medication to the person you are caring for. As a result, they need emergency medical care. This could result in a claim of negligence, malpractice or even professional misconduct.
Professional Indemnity insurance can protect you against claims of professional misconduct. Because you’re always in close contact with your clients, their families and members of the public, you are also exposed to the possibility of injuring someone or causing damage to their property.
Consider this: You place a wheelchair or crutches in such a way that someone falls over them and is injured. You could be held liable for the cost of compensation and any medical treatment they may require. Public Liability insurance will protect you against such claims by covering your legal and defence costs, court attendance costs, medical costs of the person who was injured and compensation awarded to them.
Finally, if you have an ABN and work with self-managed or plan-managed participants, having the right insurance is often required before you can be engaged.
Types of Insurance Cover for Disability Support Workers
At the very minimum, a disability support worker should have Public Liability and Professional Indemnity insurance. Additional insurance like Personal Accident Insurance or Motor Insurance is optional.
1. Professional Indemnity
Protects you against claims for alleged negligence or breach of duty arising from an act, error or omission in the performance of your duties.
2. Public Liability
Even the most careful support workers run the risk of injuring someone or damaging something whilst performing their duties.
When you are at work or out and about and a third party suffers an injury or property damage as a result of your negligence, your insurance cover protects you in the event of a claim.
INSTANT QUOTE ONLINE
You will need:
1. Your ABN
2. An estimate of your Yearly Income (How do I calculate this?)
3. Personal Accident (optional)
Personal accident cover or otherwise known as 'income protection' cover is especially relevant if you have no other form of income and are running your own small business. If you are ill or injured, personal accident cover will ensure you have an income to cover your running expenses until you are well again. This is optional and you can ask your insurance agent more about this.
INSTANT ACCIDENT INSURANCE QUOTEINSTANT QUOTE ONLINE
You will need:
1. Your ABN
2. An estimate of your Yearly Income (How do I calculate this?)
How Much Does Support Worker Insurance Cost?
Insurance costs for NDIS support workers and sole traders can vary a lot, depending on several factors. Like most insurance, you can usually choose to pay monthly or yearly. The price can also change based on the type of cover you choose, whether you buy a bundle of insurances, and which payment option you select.
The prices you see below are only a general guide (ballpark). Your actual insurance cost may be higher or lower depending on your work, income, and level of cover.
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$250–$700+ per year for public liability, depending on limits and services.
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$300–$950+ per year for professional indemnity.
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$300–$700+ per year for personal accident if you choose it.
Overall, if you choose a basic insurance bundle, you can expect to spend around $600–$1,200+ per year in total.
Factors That Affect Your Premium
Your insurance cost can go up or down based on a few key things:
Type of work you do
The more hands-on your role is, the higher the risk. For example, personal care, manual handling, or driving participants usually costs more to insure than low-risk support work.
Your revenue
Insurers often look at how much you earn in a year. Higher income usually means more hours worked and more risk, which can increase your premium.
Where you work
Insurance prices can change depending on your location, the environments you work in, and whether claims are more common in those areas.
Cover limits
Choosing higher cover limits (for example, $10 million public liability instead of a lower amount) usually means a higher premium.
Your claims history
If you’ve made insurance claims in the past, insurers may see this as higher risk and charge more.
Choosing the Right Level of Cover
As a sole trader or independent support worker, you can usually choose different cover amounts for each type of insurance. Your cover limit is the maximum amount your insurer will pay if you ever need to make a claim.
When deciding how much cover you need, think about:
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Requirements set by the NDIS or your profession
Some roles or registrations expect minimum insurance levels. -
What your contracts require
Many providers and agencies ask for specific public liability or professional indemnity limits before you can work with participants. -
The type and value of the work you do
Higher-value or higher-risk supports may need higher cover limits.
Worst-case scenarios
Consider what a serious claim could cost if something went wrong, and choose limits that would protect you financially.
Higher cover limits usually cost more, but they can give you peace of mind and stronger protection if a large claim happens.
NDIS Insurance Requirements for Registered Providers
If you are a registered NDIS provider, you must have certain insurances in place to meet NDIS requirements.
Registered NDIS providers must hold Public Liability and Professional Indemnity insurance to meet the NDIS Terms of Business and practice standards set by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. These are typically verified during your registration or audit process to show you have appropriate cover for the services you deliver.
Who Needs NDIS Support Worker Insurance?
You might be wondering, “Is this insurance only for NDIS support workers?”
No. Whether you work with NDIS participants or not, if you are a support worker, this insurance helps protect you against the risks involved in your work.
This insurance is suitable for:
NDIS providers (registered or unregistered)
Insurance is needed to manage financial exposure from participant injury, worker actions, and service delivery failures, regardless of registration status.
Registered NDIS providers
Insurance is mandatory under the NDIS Practice Standards and Conditions of Registration, including public liability, professional indemnity, and workers compensation where applicable.
Disability support workers
Insurance protects individual workers against claims of negligence, abuse, injury, or property damage arising from direct participant support activities.
Aged care workers
Insurance is required because aged care support work involves the same manual handling, personal care, and duty-of-care risks as NDIS support roles, creating exposure to injury and liability claims.
How to Get Insurance as an NDIS Support Worker?
Getting insurance as an NDIS support worker is simple and can be done online.
You’ll usually start by sharing basic details about your work, such as the type of support you provide, whether you’re a sole trader, and your estimated income. Based on this information, you’ll receive insurance options that match your needs.
Our leading insurance provider, BizCover, lets you compare quotes in minutes. Once you choose a policy, you can get insured in minutes, with cover starting almost straight away. No more lengthy documents and questionnaires, it’s a paperless experience.
Always review what’s included in your policy to make sure it suits the type of support work you do.
INSTANT QUOTE ONLINE
You will need:
1. Your ABN
2. An estimate of your Yearly Income (How do I calculate this?)
Want to speak to an agent?
Call 02 8287 65 76 to speak to a Biz Cover agent to find out what cover is right for your business.
Frequently Asked Questions by NDIS Support Workers
Yes, NDIS support workers need insurance. Registered NDIS providers must hold Professional Indemnity and Public Liability insurance to meet the NDIS Practice Standards set by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
Even unregistered providers and sole traders are strongly advised to have insurance to protect against claims for accidental harm, property damage, or professional negligence while providing support services.
The average cost of business insurance for NDIS support workers is around $33 per month. However, your premium depends on factors like your services, turnover, claims history, and the level of cover you choose.
You can get an instant quote to see the exact cost for your situation.
Disability support workers typically need three main types of insurance:
- Public Liability Insurance (injury or property damage claims)
- Professional Indemnity Insurance (claims linked to your professional services)
- Personal Accident and Illness Insurance (income support if you can’t work)
Public Liability and Professional Indemnity are mandatory for registered NDIS providers.
Yes, if you’re an unregistered NDIS sole trader, insurance isn’t legally required. But working without cover can be risky. If a participant is injured or property is damaged while you’re supporting them, you may have to pay costs yourself, including legal fees.
Many participants and plan managers prefer insured support workers, so having insurance can also help you win more clients.
Public Liability insurance can cover compensation and legal costs if you accidentally injure someone or damage property while doing your work.
Example: A client trips over equipment and is injured, or you accidentally damage furniture in a client’s home.
Professional Indemnity insurance can cover legal costs and losses if someone claims your professional service was negligent or caused harm.
You apply through the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. As part of registration/audit, you’ll need to show you have Public Liability and Professional Indemnity insurance. After purchase, you’ll get a Certificate of Currency to include in your application.
The level of cover you need depends on your work activities, contract requirements, and the risks in your role. Many support workers choose higher Public Liability limits if they work in participant homes or transport participants, and higher Professional Indemnity limits if they provide higher-risk supports.
Often yes, as long as your policy lists the correct occupation and services (for example, personal care, domestic assistance, and community access) so you’re covered for the actual work you perform.
In many cases, you can purchase cover online in minutes and receive your policy documents and Certificate of Currency by email shortly after payment, provided no additional underwriting information is required.
Disclaimer:
Please note that MyCareSpace does not offer insurance advice. There is no one size fits all for insurance and your insurance agent will be able to ensure that you have the correct cover.
MyCareSpace is a referral partner of BizCover Pty Ltd (ABN 68 127 707 975; AFSL No 501769). MyCareSpace earns a commission from BizCover when you purchase a business insurance policy through their website. BizCover provides dealing services, factual information and general financial product advice only in relation to business insurance on this and the following business insurance comparison pages. BizCover and acts as agent of the insurers in respect of the insurance products offered on the website and not as your agent. BizCover does not compare all business insurers or products in the market. Any advice provided on this and the following business insurance comparison pages is general advice only and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on the advice, you should consider its appropriateness having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs. Please read the relevant PDS or policy wording before you make a decision about whether to purchase a product. For more information about the above services and how BizCover and MyCareSpace are remunerated, please read BizCover’s Financial Services Guide.
