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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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

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.