Social Worker Insurance: Liability, Malpractice – Quotes From $11

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Updated: March 27, 2025 . 6 min read

Written by Ofir Sahar

CEO & Founder

Ofir Sahar

CEO & Founder

Some of the products on this page come from partners who may compensate us when you click on their links or take specific actions. This helps us keep our content free. That said, our opinions are our own and based on independent analysis.

 

Social work is a great job which involves assisting individuals and even the community as a whole. However, working in the field of social work has its own set of risks, including the potential legal claims that may arise from professional activities.

 Hence, the issue of getting the right independent social worker insurance coverage becomes very important and especially for self- employed social workers. In this article, we will further look into the processes, costs, coverage, and the best policies available in terms of social work liability insurance.

Malpractice Insurance for Clinical Social Workers

Clinical social workers are prone to litigation due to the nature of their responsibilities, therefore, it is important to take out malpractice insurance in order to obtain coverage for claims of professional negligence. There are some key benefits, such as:

  • Insured’s legal defense costs incurred as the result of a suit, as well as costs associated with settlements and a suit arising out of malpractice are paid.
  • Legal Service Fees Are Covered: Limitless amount of legal service fees are covered by the policy which has been classified under “defense”.
  • Transfer of Coverage: This will ensure that coverage remains in effect even when the worker moves to another position or a different place.

There is a need for clinical social workers to seek greater awareness of malpractice insurance as a component of their risk management process and control in an effort to use it to enhance the benefits of coverage against exposures.

 

Social Work Malpractice Insurance Cost

Social workers tend to have different costs owing to the type of factors listed below.

  • Coverage Limits: When the coverage limits are increased, the premiums are also bound to increase. For example, policies can be obtained as low as £7.67 a month, but can go up depending on coverage levels desired.
  • Claims History: A history of claims can result in higher premiums due to the fact that insurers would consider the practitioner to be a higher risk.
  • Type of Practice: Independent practitioners may pay different than those who work for organizations because of differing risks levels.

Medical malpractice independent social worker premiums vary at the low end from three hundred dollars ($300) a year to one thousand five hundred ($1,500) for the high end of the policy. It is always best to take estimations from several providers in order to locate the most competitive deals.

 

Cost of Insurance for Social Worker

The social work liability insurance cost is influenced by several factors, similar to malpractice insurance. The following are some of the most important:

  • Experience: A newly licensed social worker may end up paying higher premiums because of their inexperience.
  • Location: Different states or regions will have different insurance premiums depending on local statutes and regulations-affiliated with practicing as a social worker.
  • Cyber Liability: The furthermore cyber liability or any other easier liabilities, the more the costs associated with these.

Generally speaking, there is a $200 to $1000 per year payment. Social workers should self-evaluate the needs of their practice and seek the counsel of the insurance professionals to determine what kind of coverage is required.

 

Best Professional Liability Insurance for Social Workers

Personal liability insurance for social workers is crucial for employees working within a non-profit Social Welfare organization or in the government setup.

  • Comprehensive Coverage: Professional liability insurance policies like this cover the risks faced in the process of rendering professional services.
  • Low Premiums: Security includes sufficient amounts of coverage to pay off any potential liability, while on the other hand, the rates remain quite reasonable.
  • Adequate Support: This renders self-serve account holders to getting in touch with seasoned experts, who assist with claims and requests within an acceptable period.

Some of the best social work malpractice insurance options include:

  • Nagalro Membership Insurance: The scheme provides social work indemnity insurance and public liability insurance coverage for self-employed practitioners in social work.
  • Suited Insurance: Making available reasonably priced allowance includes fundamental risks that social workers are confronted with.

 

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Best Malpractice Insurance for Social Workers

Hiscox Insurance

Hiscox insurance has built a reputation around offering professionalism and covering for a variety of businesses including social workers. Additionally, Hiscox offers liability cover to small business owners and independents.

Pros

  • Online Convenience: Hiscox insurance understands the impasse one might have with trying to contact an agent. This is why they have made it simple by quoting policies online.
  • Customizable Policies: There are different policies available. These have been developed in a manner that they suit the users professional occupation.
  • Global Coverage: People that provide international services set a good example to utilize this policy. Additionally, social workers travelling around the world would also benefit greatly from this policy.

Cons

  • High Customer Complaints: A report that went viral for indicating a bigger than average number of complaints generated from a number of customers has plagued Hiscox for some time.
  • Limited Support Hours: For a number of people looking for 24/7 support outside of Hiscox normal business hours. This would easily be a drawback.
  • Potentially Higher Costs: A number of users seem to think that when compared to their competitors, Hiscox does seem to charge a higher premium.

Ratings; 4.7/5

 

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NASW Assurance Services

It is a unique insurance policy that understands the needs of social workers and protects them professionally. 

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) has underwritten the policy with a view to mitigate the risks that social workers may face in the course of practicing.

Pros

  • Tailored Coverage: It extends to social workers, liability coverage that is both comprehensive and unique to the profession’s practice including telehealth services.
  • Defense Coverage: This policy also contains costs for legal defense including that which is related to complaints made against the license boards.
  • Affordable Premiums: Generally, lower premiums are obtained for other providers rates with basic coverage starting from $67 annually.
  • Member Benefits: other benefits NASW members can enjoy include educational tools and risk management resources.

Cons

  • Membership Requirement: In order to use the insurance, members have to be NASW which calls for payment of an annual subscription.
  • Limited Flexibility: There may be exceptions in the policy that would cause coverage gaps in certain situations.

Ratings;2.5/5

 

CM&F Group

It has been in the malpractice insurance business since 1919 and has a reputation in providing competitive prices and other policies to social workers and other sorts of healthcare professionals.

Pros

  • Coverage Choices: Has occurrence, claims-made and tail coverage policies suited to varying individual’s needs.
  • Telehealth Services: This has now become essential in practice as it is included in the basic cover.
  • Low Incomes: This company has a very low pricing structure for students and recent graduates.
  • It is highly rated by other financial services and also has a rating of A+ from the Better Business Bureau.

Cons

  • Claim Procedures: Some users have claimed sometimes, it can be quite difficult or sluggish to navigate claims.

Ratings:3.5/5

 

 

 

About the author

Ofir Sahar

Ofir is the founder and CEO of Insuranks. He established Insuranks in 2019 from scratch and has been running educational insurance websites since 2009 on a mission to help businesses...See full bio.

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