Policy basis
Claims-made policies explained
Why the timing of when a claim is made — not when the work was done — determines which policy responds.
Claims-made vs occurrence-based cover
Professional Indemnity is written on a claims-made basis: the policy in force at the time a claim is first made against you is the policy that responds, regardless of when the underlying work took place.
This differs from occurrence-based cover, common in some other insurance lines, where the policy in force at the time of the incident responds.
What this means in practice
You need continuous, unbroken PI cover throughout your career, with an appropriate retroactive date, to ensure past work remains protected.
Gaps in cover — even short ones — can leave historic work unprotected if a claim arises during the gap.