Insurance · Comparison · 2026
Best trustee indemnity insurance UK: the six providers worth a quote in 2026
An independent review of every UK trustee indemnity provider worth getting a quote from this year — with the honest 'best for X' framework, real published prices where they exist, and the watch-outs nobody tells trustees about.
Last updated 16 May 2026·13 min read
Some links below earn us a commission if you buy a policy. We don't recommend products we wouldn't suggest to a trustee in our own family — see our affiliate disclosure.
How we shortlisted these six
Three filters. First, the provider had to be named on the FCA Register as a writer of trustee, management or D&O liability for charity / non-profit risks. Second, they had to accept charity, CIO or CIC clients without a minimum income threshold — ruling out the larger commercial-D&O brokers (Howden, AJG, Marsh) whose proposition starts higher up. Third, they had to operate either a public quote journey or a defined intake for new broker-channel enquiries.
Fifteen UK insurers and brokers technically offer charity TII. Six are the realistic shortlist for an organisation in the £5k–£250k income bracket this site is built for. Unity Insurance Services (Scout-owned) is mentioned briefly below as a specialised exception.
#1 · Best overall for a small UK charity
PolicyBeeAffiliate
Underwriter: Ansvar, Hiscox and others
Who it's for: Small to mid-sized charities, CIOs, CICs, PTAs and clubs buying their first or renewing trustee liability policy.
Strengths
- Online quote-and-buy that works for charities up to roughly £500k income — no broker phone call required.
- Underwritten by A-rated panel led by Ansvar (Benefact) and Hiscox. Quality of paper is not compromised by the digital channel.
- Visible refer-a-friend reward scheme and a generally trustee-friendly content presence — they answer the awkward questions in writing.
- Useful supporting covers (PI, PL, EL, cyber) available through the same buying flow if you need to consolidate.
Watch-outs
- Online journey caps out around the £500k income mark — larger charities will need a broker conversation.
- Doesn't deeply specialise in any single sub-segment (faith, heritage, advice, safeguarding-heavy work).
Pricing: Quote online. Standalone trustee liability prices not publicly listed but quoted instantly.
#2 · Best for very small / start-up community groups
Markel DirectAffiliate
Underwriter: Markel International (Lloyd's Syndicate 3000)
Who it's for: Community groups, CICs and very small charities — typically under £10k turnover and in their first or second year of operating.
Strengths
- From £3 per month for a small CIC or charity with £500k of professional indemnity + trustees' liability. Genuinely accessible price point.
- 200,000+ direct customers across all books. Real claims experience in the charity sector.
- Bundles PI with TII — the natural pair for any advice, training or membership organisation.
- Lloyd's-backed (Syndicate 3000). A-rated capacity behind a digital-first price.
Watch-outs
- The £3/month headline price is the smallest profile only — typical charities pay more once activity and income are declared.
- TII limit defaults are modest at the entry tier. Negotiate up if you have paid staff or significant assets.
Pricing: From £3/month at the very small end; bundled with PI.
#3 · Best digital all-in-one for sub-£100k income
Zurich Charity
Underwriter: Zurich Insurance Company
Who it's for: Small charities and community groups under £100k income wanting a single online charity package, with TII as an add-on.
Strengths
- Online product from £56/year for the package — most transparent published price for an entry-level charity policy.
- Includes £2m public liability + £100k libel/slander as standard. Trustee indemnity is the natural uplift.
- Zurich brand and balance sheet — A-rated, widely accepted by funders and local authorities.
- NCVO-endorsed trusted supplier — useful credibility for charity clients answering grant funder questions.
Watch-outs
- TII is an uplift rather than a standalone product — fine for most, but limits worth checking against your activity profile.
- Online product caps at £100k income; above that, broker quote.
Pricing: Package from £56/year; TII add-on uplift.
#4 · Best for faith, heritage and listed-building charities
Ecclesiastical
Underwriter: Ecclesiastical Insurance Office (Benefact Group)
Who it's for: Faith-linked charities, churches, heritage trusts, education charities, and any organisation where the building is a Grade II or II* listed asset.
Strengths
- Six-year run-off cover for retired trustees included as standard — matches the standard civil claim limitation period.
- Limits £250k–£5m; lost-document cover to £50k.
- Distributed via Access Insurance and a wider broker network including SEIB, Lycetts and Lloyd & Whyte (all part of Benefact Broking and Advisory Holdings).
- Charitable ownership (Benefact Trust) is meaningfully different from the other names on this list — relevant for trustees who care about where premium pounds go.
Watch-outs
- Broker-only distribution. No online direct journey.
- Pricing rarely the cheapest for a non-faith, non-listed organisation — the value is in the wording for the specific niche.
Pricing: Broker quote only. Limits £250k–£5m.
#5 · Best transparent standalone TII price
Get Indemnity (WTW network)
Underwriter: Multiple via Willis Towers Watson network
Who it's for: Charities, CIOs and CICs wanting a standalone trustee liability quote — particularly anyone reluctant to bundle into a wider package.
Strengths
- Publishes a transparent starting price (from £198/year or £16.50/month) — rare in this market and useful as a benchmark even if you buy elsewhere.
- Broker route via the WTW network — access to multiple underwriters via one application.
- Strong content presence answering practical trustee questions. Treats the policy as a charity-trustee product, not a generic SME-D&O bundle.
Watch-outs
- Standalone TII is rarely the cheapest path overall — bundling at PolicyBee or Markel often beats it on total spend.
- Broker-channel, so no instant online buy.
Pricing: From £198/year or £16.50/month, published.
#6 · Best for the sub-£100k / sub-£500k assets profile
Ansvar Charity Protect
Underwriter: Ansvar Insurance (Benefact Group)
Who it's for: Faith-linked or community charities under £100k income, under £500k assets, and under 100 volunteers — Ansvar's published Charity Protect target profile.
Strengths
- Trustees' indemnity included as a section of the Charity Protect wording — not an afterthought.
- Ansvar paper accepted across the charity sector; the ethical/sector-aligned brand reads well to grant funders.
- Smaller premium than commercial-D&O alternatives because the wording is matched to the smaller-charity risk profile.
Watch-outs
- Outside the published target profile (sub-£100k income, sub-£500k assets, sub-100 volunteers), pricing is less competitive.
- Broker channel for the standard product — Charity Protect online is the entry point.
Pricing: Broker quote; Charity Protect online for the matched profile.
A note on Unity Insurance Services
Unity Insurance Services is owned by The Scout Association and provides trustee/leader liability cover free at the point of use to all registered UK Scout groups — the premium is paid centrally by The Scout Association. Worth mentioning because UK Scouting is genuinely one of the best-insured volunteer movements in the country, but Unity is a specialised exception rather than a third-party affiliate partner.
How to compare yourself in 2026
- Decide the limit first. £250k–£500k for a small grant-funded charity. £1m+ for advice or vulnerable-people work. £2m+ for sizeable advocacy/campaigning organisations.
- Test bundled vs standalone. Get one bundled quote (PolicyBee or Markel) and one standalone quote (Get Indemnity). Standalone is the benchmark; bundled is usually cheaper overall.
- Read the run-off clause. If silent, ask. Six years matches the limitation period; anything less leaves a gap that bites when a trustee resigns.
- Confirm CC49 exclusions. Every UK policy already complies with s.189(4) Charities Act 2011 — fines, fraud, and deliberate misconduct are excluded. Be wary of any policy that claims otherwise.
- Record the s.189 decision in the minutes. Cheap protection against future Charity Commission scrutiny.
Frequently asked questions
Why is there no single 'best' standalone trustee indemnity price?+
Almost every UK trustee indemnity policy is bundled with at least public liability, employers' liability and/or professional indemnity. Providers know small charities need the package; standalone TII is rare and rarely the cheapest route to coverage. Get Indemnity's £198/year is the most honest published standalone benchmark.
How did we shortlist these six?+
Three filters: (1) named in PERG-aware FCA Register entries as a trustee/management-liability writer, (2) accepts charity and CIO/CIC clients without minimum income, (3) has a public quote journey or a defined broker-channel intake. Roughly fifteen UK insurers and brokers technically offer charity TII; these six are the realistic shortlist for a small or mid-sized organisation buying without a corporate insurance team.
What about Howden, Gallagher and the other big brokers?+
They sit above this list — they place TII for larger charities (typically £350k+ income) and are the right route for any organisation with paid staff, owned premises and multiple workstreams. For the £5k–£250k income bracket this site is built for, the providers above are a better fit on access and pricing.
Should we choose on price?+
Not solely. The wording matters more, particularly around the run-off period (the time after a trustee leaves during which claims about their tenure can still be defended). Ecclesiastical includes six years as standard; some policies are silent and default to the limitation period. £198 for a policy with proper run-off is better value than £150 for one without.
Can we just add it to our existing charity package policy?+
Often yes — but check the limit. The default 'Financial & Administration Liability' section on many package policies carries a £100k or £250k limit, which is fine for small grant-funded charities but light for anything with paid staff or significant assets. Push for £1m+ if your activity profile warrants it.
Related guides
Trustee indemnity insurance: do you actually need it? →
The decision aid first. When TII is proportionate, what it covers, and the CC49 framework.
Trustee indemnity insurance cost in 2026 →
Real price bands, what drives the number, and why standalone vs bundled changes the math.
What trustee indemnity actually covers →
Section by section, including the exclusion list trustees keep missing.
Legal structures for UK community groups →
Why incorporation (CIO, charitable company) often beats insurance as the first move.
Village hall insurance: a 2026 buyer's guide →
If you're a village hall trustee, TII is usually bundled in the package — read this first.
Sources
Provider policy wordings and product pages (PolicyBee, Markel Direct, Zurich Charity, Ecclesiastical, Ansvar, Get Indemnity, Unity Insurance Services); FCA Financial Services Register; Charity Commission CC49; Charities Act 2011 ss.189, 280A–B; NCVO trusted-supplier disclosures; Civil Society and Third Sector reporting; Russell-Cooke, Bates Wells, Anderson Strathern trustee briefings.