How does Airtasker Insurance work in the UK?

Poster

As a Poster, you have engaged a Tasker (an independent contractor) to complete your task. The Tasker is primarily responsible for the work that is carried out and subsequently liable for consequences that result from their activities when performing the task.

 

 

 

 What task activities does insurance apply to?

If the Tasker causes injury or property damage to a Poster or the Third Party whilst performing activities not otherwise excluded during a task, liability insurance arranged by Airtasker may respond and cover the costs of the damages, subject to Insurer’s terms and conditions.

Tasks must be completed and paid through the Airtasker platform to be eligible for the coverage, subject to insurance terms and conditions. Any tasks paid through alternative means (including cash-in-hand) will not be covered.

Insurance only covers Taskers that are registered on the platform.

 Someone else shows up to perform the assigned tasks and causes damage. Will my claim be covered?

If someone else shows up to perform the task or extra people are brought to assist with the task, this is subcontracting, and it is a breach of the Community Guidelines.

Any damage or personal injury caused by subcontractors who are not registered users of the Airtasker platform will not be covered by insurance and the policy will not respond.

This means any claim where damage to property or personal injury was caused by an unregistered Tasker on Airtasker platform, will not be assessed.

No settlement amount, therefore, will be offered to the Poster or the third party.

Poster or the third party will have to seek settlement directly from the assigned Poster or the unregistered subcontractor.

 Is there an excess?

The Airtasker insurance policy applies an excess. If there is a successful claim, the excess payment for the policy is payable by the Tasker as the beneficiary of the policy.

Posters and Third Parties are not liable to pay the excess.

 What is excess in insurance policy?

Insurance excess is a sum of money that needs to be paid to the insurance company as part of any insurance policy before a settlement amount can be paid to a claimant.

This is a common practice in insurance and every insurance policy will have an insurance excess as part of a policy.

Example:

A claim was lodged for $2500 in damages. The claim was referred to the insurance company to be assessed by the claim assessor. Upon completion of the assessment, the insurance claim assessor decided that the claim is payable to the poster for the full amount of $2500.

Before insurance can pay out the $2500, it needs to receive an excess payment from the insured party, in this case, the Tasker.

If the excess amount is $1500 according to the policy, the Tasker will need to pay to the insurance company, $1500 in full. Once this has been received, insurance will then pay the balance of $1000 to complete a full settlement amount of $2500 to the Poster.

 What if a claim is sub-excess?

Where the claimed amount is less than the insurance excess, the third-party insurance policy does not apply. This means that the policy will not cover any loss nor offer any settlement amount to the Poster or Third Party.

As Taskers are not independent contractors, not employed by Airtasker, we cannot make a demand to Taskers to compensate Posters/Third Parties for their loss.

In these cases, Poster or Third Party have the option to seek settlement directly from the Tasker.

Example:

A claim was lodged by a Poster for a damaged table. The claim amount lodged is $1000. The insurance excess of the policy is $1500.

As the claim amount is below the insurance excess of $1500, this claim is not covered by the insurance policy. No settlement amount will be offered to the Poster.

The Poster would still have the option to recover the loss from the Tasker directly.

 How do I know the excess of the insurance policy?

Information about excess of an insurance policy is only to be known by the insured party, in this case, the Tasker. This is a common practice in insurance, and it is put in place to prevent fraudulent or exaggerated claims against any insurance policy

 How can I submit a claim under Insurance on Airtasker?

As a Poster, if you’ve suffered damage or personal injury due to the actions of a Tasker, we suggest that you take the following steps:

1. Communicate with the Tasker to attempt to resolve the alleged loss matter.

2. If unable to resolve the matter, please contact Airtasker support. Note: You will be asked to fill out an incident notification form to provide your version of the events.

3. Airtasker will also contact the Tasker to request them to fill out an insurance claim form.

4. You will also be required to provide photographs and formal quotes/receipts from CRN registered businesses to substantiate your claim.

Other documents such as proof of ownership/purchase are also required and you should obtain a copy of the purchase tax invoice from the seller if the original copy has been lost.

5. The claim form along with incident details will be forwarded to the Insurer's claims assessor at QBE.

Please note that QBE may collect information from all the parties involved to make a decision on whether the Tasker is liable for the loss and also to assess the value of the alleged loss.

As with standard insurance processes, the claim may be denied if there isn’t enough evidence to validate a claim. Please keep supporting evidence of the incident and the contact details of witnesses.

If the claim is denied by the Insurer in-line with policy conditions, then the Poster still has the option of recovering the loss directly from the Tasker as an independent contractor.

 What is Airtasker’s role and how do we support you?

Airtasker’s role is to assist both users, Tasker and Posters in the lodgement of a claim. We provide both users with incident reports, giving the opportunity for each side to tell their side of the story. Both users should provide supporting documents and/or evidence as they fill the incident reports.

Airtasker will then forward the incident reports along with any supporting document and/or evidence provided by users to QBE that will assign claims assessors to each claim.

Please note that Airtasker is not an insurance company.

We do not issue any insurance policy and we do not assess claims. Additional documentation or evidence may be required by QBE and this can be provided directly to QBE.

Once a claim has been sent to QBE, Posters should communicate directly with QBE to obtain updates for their claims. 

The lodgement of a claim does not guarantee settlement. A claim can still be denied after completion of the assessment by QBE.

QBE as the insurance provider is the party that assesses claims and determines whether claims are to be denied or offered a settlement in full or partially. 

These assessments are done independently. Airtasker does not influence the outcome of any claim assessment. Airtasker may assist in communicating the result of a claim assessment as instructed by QBE. 

Any dispute in regard to an outcome of a claim should be directed to CGU.

Please note: this is a summary of the Airtasker third party liability insurance policy ONLY. Nothing contained herein is general or personal advice.

Furthermore, it is declared and agreed that nothing contained in this summary should be understood to be an express or implied condition, term or exclusion which forms part of the Insurer Policy terms and conditions or be relied upon in the event of a Claim. Please contact Airtasker for access to the Certificate of Currency and/or Insurance Policy Schedule and/or Policy Wording for information as to the specific coverage, terms, conditions and exclusions afforded by the Insurer in the event of an incident, occurrence or Claim.

Please also note that each Claim is subject to an Excess payable by the Tasker - full details of the Policy, its coverage and exclusions including the applicable excess details are available on request by the Tasker.

 

 

 

 

 

Tasker

Airtasker has a general liability insurance policy in place that includes but is not limited to coverage for Taskers. Taskers are covered for their liability to third parties for any actual or alleged personal injury or property damage whilst performing activities not otherwise excluded.

This liability insurance policy is provided by QBE UK Limited.

The liability insurance works on a claims-made and notified basis. When you are notified and lodged a claim, the terms and conditions on that date will apply to your claim – not those that may have been in use before that date.

Claims must be lodged within 30 calendar days of the date of the incident.

As a Tasker, please always remember that, as an independent contractor, you’re accountable for any actual or alleged personal injury or property damage caused by you to third parties – so please take care when completing tasks.

We encourage Taskers to take necessary preventions to avoid causing personal injury to a Poster or any Third Party, as well as damage to their properties.

All coverage is subject to the policy’s terms and conditions, and there are exclusions that apply.

There is an excess that applies to the insurance policy for each claim lodged against the tasker and the excess is fully payable by the tasker.

As a Tasker, please make sure you’re aware of the details including whether the task you are about to perform is insured. FAQ’s and information on these terms and conditions can be found below.

Jump down to a question: 

 

 How do I become eligible for cover under the third party liability insurance policy?

For a Tasker to be covered by the third party liability insurance policy, the following conditions must be met:

(a) The Tasker (and any assistants/helpers) must be a registered member of Airtasker under the Airtasker platform, and

(b) The task must be completed and paid for through the Airtasker platform. Tasks paid via alternative means (including cash in hand) are not covered, and

(c) The personal injury or property damage must occur as a result of the task you have performed. Only injury to a Poster/Third Party is covered. Injury to a Tasker or anyone under the Tasker's control or supervision is not covered.

We encourage Taskers to obtain their own personal injury insurance that fits their professional and personal needs.

Property damage is also covered but does not include property belonging to you or people under your control or supervision in performing these tasks.

 What is Airtasker’s role and how do we support you?

Airtasker’s role is to assist both users, Taskers and Posters in the lodgement of a claim. We provide both users with incident reports, giving the opportunity for each side to tell their side of the story. Both users should provide supporting documents and/or evidence as they fill the incident reports.

Airtasker will then forward the incident reports along with any supporting document and/or evidence provided by users to QBE that will assign claims assessors to each claim.

Please note that Airtasker is not an insurance company. We do not issue any insurance policy, we do not provide any advice (General or Personal) and we do not assess claims. Additional documentation or evidence may be required by QBE and this can be provided directly to QBE. 

The lodgement of a claim does not guarantee settlement. A claim can still be denied after completion of the assessment by QBE.

QBE as the insurance provider is the party that assesses claims and determines whether claims are to be denied or offered a settlement in full or partially.

These assessments are done independently. Airtasker does not influence the outcome of any claim assessment. Airtasker may assist in communicating the result of a claim assessment as instructed by QBE.

 What Task Activities does insurance apply to?

Airtasker’s QBE Liability Insurance Policy does not cover all tasks or activities. Please refer to the list of excluded activities for more information. If you’re not sure about whether your task activity is covered, please contact us. We’ll assist you to find the answer by contacting our qualified and licensed insurance broker representative.

No insurance cover applies if injury or property damage occurs as a result of:

• Deliberate or intentional acts by the Tasker
• Criminal activity or actions which are criminal by nature
• A Tasker injuring a person in their direct supervision or control who is an Airtasker Member or directly engaged by the Tasker to assist in completing the Task (this does not apply to the Poster)
• Poor workmanship, poor quality work, or cost to rectify work that is not ‘fit for purpose’ unless such work has caused personal injury or property damage

There are other exclusions that apply to the policy.

There is no cover if injury or damage to property that is actually or alleged to have been caused by:

• Use of vehicles
• Use of watercraft
• Use of aircraft 
• Use of firearms
• Legal or Financial advice or services
• Medical Malpractice & Medical Treatments
• Sexual and/or Escort services

 Does insurance apply if someone doesn’t like the work I have done?

No. The Insurance Policy does not cover poor or faulty workmanship, poor quality work or guarantee any work performed. Also, it does not cover you if the work you have completed fails to perform – e.g. you install a burglar alarm and it doesn’t work.

Any cost incurred to rectify the work described above is also not covered by insurance.

 What must a Tasker do in the event of damage or injury to a Poster or someone else whilst completing a task?

(a) Please contact Airtasker support as soon as possible.

(b) Please keep in mind that insurance terms require the Tasker not to admit responsibility to third parties for loss whilst a claim is being investigated.

(c) The claims assessor will require details of how the injury or damage occurred. Please note down details of independent witnesses and take photos of the damage if appropriate.

(d) Airtasker Support will provide the Tasker with a claim form to lodge.

We also expect you to communicate promptly when we reach out to you for additional information related to an insurance claim. Otherwise, we may take action, including restricting your ability to make offers in the Airtasker marketplace or suspending your access to the marketplace.

 What is an excess and how does it apply to me?

An excess is an amount of money you have to pay before cover is provided for a claim under the policy.

Where the claimed amount is less than the excess amount, the third-party insurance policy does not apply.

This means that the policy will not cover any loss nor offer any settlement amount to the Poster or Third Party.

In these cases, Poster or Third Party have the option to seek settlement directly from the Tasker.

Please note that the Tasker will need to contribute to the claim payout in the form of an excess or contribution payment up to the amount requested by Airtasker. 

Example: 

A claim was lodged for £2500 in damages. The claim was referred to the insurance company to be assessed by a claim assessor. Upon completion of the assessment, the insurance claim assessor decided that the claim is payable to the poster for the full amount of £2500.

Before insurance can pay out the £2500, it needs to receive an excess payment from the insured party, in this case, the Tasker.

If the excess amount is £1500 according to the policy, the Tasker will need to pay to the insurance company, £1500 in full. Once this has been received, insurance will then pay the balance of £1000 to complete a full settlement amount of £2500 to the Poster.

 What happens if I get injured whilst completing the task?

If an accident has occurred and you need medical attention, call an ambulance or your local emergency line.

If an injury was incurred while you are performing activities not otherwise excluded as part of a task on Airtasker, please contact us here.

 I have settled the claim directly with the Poster/Third Party. Can I get reimbursement from insurance?

No. Any direct settlement provided by a Tasker to settle any claim directly with a Poster/Third Party, in labor and/or costs both material or immaterial, can not be reimbursed through insurance. 

As an independent contractor, you’re accountable for personal injury or property damage caused by you to a Poster/Third party. We appreciate any direct settlement for a claim which has been provided by a Tasker to a Poster/Third Party which improves users’ experience on the platform. 

Please note: this is a summary of the Airtasker third party liability insurance policy ONLY. Nothing contained herein is general or personal advice.

Furthermore, it is declared and agreed that nothing contained in this summary should be understood to be an express or implied condition, term or exclusion which forms part of the Insurer Policy terms and conditions or be relied upon in the event of a Claim. Please contact Airtasker for access to the Certificate of Currency and/or Insurance Policy Schedule and/or Policy Wording for information as to the specific coverage, terms, conditions and exclusions afforded by the Insurer in the event of an incident, occurrence or Claim.

Please also note that each Claim is subject to an Excess payable by the Tasker - full details of the Policy, its coverage and exclusions including the applicable excess details are available on request by the Tasker.