Insurance for NDIS Providers
We cover off everything you need to know about Insurance for NDIS Providers
Specialist Insurance Solutions for NDIS Providers Across Australia
Morgan Insurance Brokers arranges insurance for NDIS providers across Australia, from sole trader support workers through to registered providers turning over $50 million. We know the NDIS Commission requirements, the exclusions that catch providers off guard, and the insurers who will actually respond when a claim is made.
We are a full-service brokerage, not a comparison website. That means we review your policy wording, identify gaps in your cover, and manage your claim from start to finish at no extra cost.
What Insurance Does an NDIS Provider Actually Need?
Select a cover type to learn more
Using a broker vs going direct to an insurer
Income protection policies vary significantly between insurers, in definitions, exclusions, and claim conditions. A broker compares them on your behalf at no extra cost.
Your Dedicated NDIS Insurance Broker
Lauren Spice - Director
Senior Insurance Broker and Director — NDIS and Disability Sector Specialist
Lauren Spice is the Director of Morgan Insurance Brokers and one of the few specialist brokers in Australia with deep, hands-on experience across the full spectrum of the NDIS sector. From sole trader support workers just starting out through to large registered NDIS providers with turnovers of $1 million to $50 million, Lauren and her team understand the unique risks, compliance obligations, and insurance requirements that come with operating in the disability services space.
The NDIS sector carries a level of complexity that general business insurance brokers are not equipped to handle well. Participant liability, vicarious liability for subcontracted support workers, sexual abuse cover, mandatory NDIS Commission requirements, and specialised motor vehicle risks for participant transport all require a broker who knows the sector from the inside. Lauren’s team does.
Morgan Insurance Brokers works with NDIS providers of all sizes across Brisbane, Queensland, and Australia wide. Whether you are a sole trader applying for registration for the first time and need to satisfy the NDIS Commission’s insurance requirements, or an established provider reviewing your program ahead of a compliance audit, Lauren’s team can review your current cover, identify gaps, and go to market across a panel of specialist insurers to find the right fit.
When a claim arises against an NDIS provider, the consequences can be significant. Legal costs, compensation claims, and regulatory scrutiny can all occur simultaneously. Having a broker who manages the claim process from start to finish, advocates on your behalf with the insurer, and understands the NDIS regulatory environment is not a luxury for providers in this sector. It is essential.
EXPERIENCE
15 + years in insurance broking
LOCATION
QLD, servicing Australia wide
Switching insurers could leave you completely unprotected
Some NDIS public liability and professional indemnity policies are written on a claims-made basis, meaning a claim must be both made and reported while your policy is active. If you switch insurers without the right advice, you could cancel your old policy and leave years of past work completely uninsured.
It's not just about having the right insurance. How your old policy is structured matters just as much. A claim relating to an incident from 2 years ago could be reported today, and if your old policy has lapsed or wasn't properly run-off, you could be personally liable for the entire cost.
This is exactly why working with a specialist broker like Lauren and the team at Morgan Insurance Brokers matters. We don't just sell you a new policy, we protect your transition, review your existing cover, confirm your run-off provisions, and make sure there are no gaps before your new policy starts. Sometimes, it might make sense economically to stay on a claims made policy, but where possible, we try and restructure to an occurrence based public liability insurance cover. Professional Indemnity insurances will always be claims made.
Talk to Lauren about your cover →A support worker allegedly causes injury to a participant during a home visit. Nothing is reported at the time.
Your old claims-made policy is cancelled. No run-off cover is arranged. Your new policy starts — but only covers claims made from this point forward.
The participant's family makes a formal complaint. The incident happened in 2022 — but the claim is being made now.
Morgan Insurance Brokers reviews your old policy, confirms run-off provisions, and ensures your transition is fully protected before your new policy starts.
What Does Public Liability Insurance Cover?
Public Liability Insurance for an NDIS provider will extend to cover you for the legal impacts and costs if a third party suffers from injuries, or property damage as a result of your teams negligence. Your employees and volunteers can be included within this cover.For example, your clients could be injured whilst out on social outings, playing group sports, enjoying recreational activities or attending local events and festivals.A Public Liability Insurance policy can pay the legal and defence costs if such claim was brought against you. Damages for compensation can also be awarded against you, in which a Public Liability Insurance can cover these costs.
What is standardly excluded under Public Liability Insurance?
Standard public liability policies contain exclusions that NDIS providers need to be aware of. Some can be added back as optional extensions — speak with your broker about your specific situation.
Insurance Considerations for NDIS Providers
Sexual Abuse Cover
Claims for sexual abuse, sexual harassment, intimidation, molestation, and indecent exposure, whether actual or alleged is not standard and needs to be requested to be added to your policy. There are limited insurers that offer this cover, and it comes at an additional premium. Not all requests for this cover are approved as there needs to be thorough documentation and procedures that satisfies the insurers requirements.
Your Vicarious Liability
As the primary carer, and first point of call for the care of your recipients, if a claim were to occur, it is likely that the claim will be brought against your company first. Regardless of fault, there could be legal costs involved as a result of these claims. For example, if you’ve arranged for counselling services, or medical services for your client and as a result of those services, your client suffers injury, the claim could be brought against your business first. From there, there would be a long legal process to determine the facts and circumstances of the event, to determine your companies involvement and portion of liability. This process can be quite costly. Having the right insurances in place is crucial to the survival of your business.
Motor Vehicle Liability
Motor vehicle related injuries are higher risk due to the frequency of travel and transportation services provided by NDIS support facilities where they take their clients on outings, to appointments, and shopping.
The risk is lower for those providers that mainly engage in at home visits.
Larger NDIS Support businesses may own a bus that transports their clients which carries a greater risk as there would be multiple claimaints if there were to be an accident.
Special vehicles that are designed to assist with mobility, such as wheelchair ramps etc, carry a greater risk also as the mechanics could fail resulting in injuries, or the client could be loaded or unloaded incorrectly which could also result in injury.
For businesses that allow their employees use their own vehicles, there is also an increased risk as the condition and safety of the vehicles could be unsafe for client transportation.
Professional Indemnity
Mistakes happen, and Professional Indemnity Insurance can protect these mistakes. It can protect NDIS organisations from claims brought against them for any actual, or alleged negligence that result in a financial loss. This includes claims where you’ve breached your Professional duty, and claims where the advice and recommendations you’ve provided results in a loss.
As you know, for every customer and home, comes a risk management plan which identifies they types of risk, the likelihood of said risk and the measures taken to reduce the risk happening. If you have failed to identify, or fail to mitigate the risks, this could be a breach of your Professional duty which could result in a claim brought against you.
Commercial Motor Insurance
At Morgan Insurance Brokers, we understand the unique challenges NDIS providers face when it comes to protecting their vehicles. Commercial motor insurance for NDIS transport businesses isn’t always straightforward with many mainstream insurers hesitate to cover vehicles used to transport participants due to their specialised modifications and higher exposure to risk. That’s why it’s essential to work with an experienced broker who knows how to navigate this space and secure tailored protection that keeps you compliant and covered. We recently explored this issue in more detail in our latest article: Why Many Insurers Won’t Cover NDIS Passenger Transport Vehicles. If your business provides NDIS transport, talk to us today about comprehensive motor insurance solutions designed specifically for your needs.
How Morgan Insurance Brokers can help your NDIS Business
Morgan Insurance Brokers are specialists within the NDIS industry. We know the risks that individual support workers face, and also the risks that NDIS provider businesses can encounter. We aren’t just a comparison website, we are a full service Insurance Brokerage and look at your requirements holistically.
Frequently Asked Questions
NDIS insurance costs vary significantly depending on the size of your operation, the services you provide, your turnover, and the number of staff and participants you support. A sole trader support worker might pay between $800 and $1,500 per year for public liability and professional indemnity combined. A larger registered provider with employees, vehicles, and a fixed premises could pay anywhere from $5,000 to $30,000 or more annually across a full insurance program. The best way to get an accurate figure is to speak with a specialist broker who can go to market across multiple insurers rather than accepting the first quote you receive.
Registered NDIS providers must meet strict NDIS Commission requirements including mandatory minimum levels of public liability and professional indemnity insurance. These requirements are audited as part of the registration and renewal process. Unregistered providers are not subject to the same mandatory minimums but still carry the same underlying liability risks. Many unregistered providers also find that participants, landlords, and referral partners require proof of insurance regardless of their registration status. Whether registered or unregistered, the risks of operating without adequate cover are the same.
Yes. While insurance requirements vary depending on the services you provide, most registered NDIS providers must hold Public Liability Insurance and Professional Indemnity Insurance as a minimum. Additional covers may be required based on risk exposure, such as sexual abuse cover, workers compensation, or commercial motor insurance.
Most NDIS providers are required to hold at least $10 million Public Liability Insurance, however some funding bodies, landlords, or contracts may require higher limits such as $20 million. We confirm the correct limit based on your services and compliance obligations.
Not automatically. Standard public liability and professional indemnity policies typically cover your employees and volunteers but may not extend to subcontractors or labour hire workers unless they are specifically included. If you engage subcontractors to deliver support services on your behalf, you need to ensure either that your policy explicitly covers their activities or that each subcontractor holds their own insurance. As the engaging entity you may still face vicarious liability for the actions of a subcontractor even if they are not on your payroll. A broker can review your policy wording and close this gap before a claim arises.
Volunteers are not automatically covered under standard Public Liability Insurance policies. In most cases, NDIS providers must arrange separate Volunteer Insurance or ensure volunteers are specifically insured under an appropriate policy. Volunteer arrangements must always be disclosed to insurers to avoid gaps in cover and compliance issues.
This is one of the most important but least understood covers in the NDIS sector. Sexual abuse cover protects your organisation against claims of sexual misconduct, abuse, or assault alleged against staff, volunteers, or contractors. These claims are explicitly excluded from standard public liability and professional indemnity policies which means without this cover you would face legal costs and compensation claims entirely uninsured. Not all insurers offer sexual abuse cover and those that do require thorough documentation of your safeguarding policies, screening procedures, and staff training before approving the cover. Morgan Insurance Brokers works with insurers who understand the NDIS sector and can guide you through the application process.
