Business interruption insurance
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- Prices start from £4.74 per month
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Claims paid in 24 hours
For 80% of settled claims
What is business interruption insurance?
When you run a small business, you never know what’s around the corner. If your business is disrupted by an unexpected, insured event, such as a fire or storm, your income could be affected and it could be difficult to pay employees or suppliers. Business interruption insurance is there to cover lost income during a tricky period, helping your business to keep trading and get back on its feet.
- build a tailored insurance policy, for peace of mind while you work
- 24/7 UK-based claims support from an expert team
- cover for unexpected insured events such as fire, floods, or storms
What does business interruption insurance cover?
Business interruption insurance is designed to cover the consequential loss of income suffered by a business following an insured and unexpected event. For example if a flood stopped your business from trading, a business interruption policy could cover the income you lost as a result. Meanwhile, your main business insurance policy could cover the costs of repairing the damage.
Keep in mind, all insurers treat this cover differently. Check your policy wording carefully before you buy to make sure you’re clear on exactly what counts as business interruption.
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Flood
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Fire
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Storm
This content has been created for general information purposes. Make sure you have the right level of business insurance by checking your policy documentation for details. Read our full Terms and Conditions
How much does business interruption insurance cost?
Find out how much you’ll pay by comparing prices from a range of trusted insurers. You choose what goes into your policy, so you only pay for what you need.
Prices start from £4.74 per month
Get your quotes in 7 minutes – prices are guaranteed for 30 days.
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The price is for up to £2 million of public liability insurance – 10% of customers paid £56.82 or less annually between 1st Jan – 31st May 2024. Equivalent to £4.74 a month (and excludes the extra costs for paying monthly). 76% of customers have a £1 million limit and 24% £2 million. If you complete a quote, more types of cover will be available. These all have additional costs.
Example business interruption insurance quotes, real prices
£36.56 /month
£325.00 /year
A small off licence at the end of a residential street
- 1-2 years’ experience
- Sole trader
- No employees
- Based in Southend-on-Sea
Public liability
£2,000,000
Contents & business equipment
£5,000
Business turnover protection
£100,000
£41.80 /month
£371.57 /year
A medium coffee shop located inside a shopping centre
- 5+ years’ experience
- Limited company
- 3 employees
- Based in Liverpool
Public liability
£2,000,000
Contents & business equipment
£5,000
Business turnover protection
£1,000,000 up to 24 months
How we work out example quotes These examples are real quotes from our online system (created 14/09/2021). They’re based on a range of factors, like employees and location. Your own quote will be based on what you tell us about your business. Prices may go up or down from day to day, so the prices you’re quoted may differ to the ones you see here.
Looking for something else?
Depending on your set-up, clients and business type, these expert covers might be helpful too:
- Business insurance
- Business legal protection insurance
- Contract works insurance
- Employers liability insurance
- Limited company insurance
- Professional indemnity
- Professional liability insurance
- Public liability insurance
- Tools insurance
Is your profession not listed? When you run a quote you can select your trade from over 1,000 options.
How it works
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Only pay for what you need
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Choose the best fit for you
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Our team of UK-based insurance experts are here to help, Mon 09.00am – 05.30pm, Tues 09.00am – 05.30pm, Weds 09.00am – 05.30pm, Thurs 09.30am – 05.30pm, Fri 09.00am – 05.30pm, Sat 09.00am – 02.00pm
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How do claims work?
Unlike price comparison websites, we take the hassle out of claims for you. We know how important it is to get your business back on track quickly – and with a minimum of fuss. That’s why you get access to your dedicated claims any time, day or night. Call them on 0333 207 0560 or claim online. They’ll do their best to be fair and supportive. The figure below is rounded across our range of products. Our claims process may vary for different products and operates on a ‘claim by claim’ basis.
£51 million in claims paid out in 2023
83% of claims were settled in 2023.
The figure above is rounded across our range of products. “Settled” covers paid, declined or withdrawn. Our claims process may vary for different products and operates on a ‘claim by claim’ basis. Our specialist partner Sedgwick will pay the claims on behalf of the insurer. Reviewed on 24/04/2024.
Example claim
Having business legal insurance through Simply Business has saved small business owners thousands of pounds when the unexpected happened.
Farooq saved more than £10,900
A river close to Farooq’s (not his real name) tool shop burst its banks after heavy rainfall, resulting in his store being flooded. It caused significant damage to the flooring and stock in the premises, forcing Farooq’s shop to remain closed while he ordered new stock and made repairs. Having business interruption insurance as part of his business insurance policy helped cover Farooq for lost income while he was unable to trade.
Insurance payout
£10,960.55
Covering the cost of lost income
Insurance payout
Covering the cost of lost income
Covering the cost of lost income
Business interruption insurance FAQ
Whether you’re new to buying business insurance or you’ve been trading for a while, here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about business interruption insurance.
You can also check out our business insurance FAQs.
Each insurer looks at CCJs and IVAs differently – some apply stricter rules than others, but having a CCJ or IVA doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be able to buy insurance.
If you change your business legal structure from sole trader to limited company mid-way through your policy, give us a call straight away on 0333 0146 683. It’ll only take us a few minutes to cancel your existing policy and replace it with one that correctly covers your new legal structure. It’s worth bearing in mind that your insurer and premium amount may need to change.
This will depend on whether you have employers’ liability insurance in place. Public liability insurance is designed to protect your business against the consequences of legal action brought by members of the public for injuries or damage to their belongings. But when it comes to your employees causing injury or damage, this protection only activates if you also have employers’ liability insurance.
If you employ people, you’re required by law to have employers’ liability insurance.
There’s one exception here. Family businesses that aren’t incorporated as a limited company are not legally required to have employers’ liability insurance. The government defines a “family business” as one where all your employees are closely related to you (as a spouse, civil partner, sibling, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, step-parent, stepchild, or half-sibling). So if you run an unincorporated family business and you choose not to get employers’ liability insurance, it’s important to know that your public liability insurance wouldn’t cover you against damage or injury caused by your team.
We create this content for general information purposes and it should not be taken as advice. Always check policy documentation for details and seek professional advice. Read our full Terms and Conditions