Member benefit

Professional Indemnity Protection

Members and affiliates have expert professional industrial support, plus TPANZ Professional Indemnity Protection from Red Union Workers' Mutual Limited, a discretionary mutual. Protection is included as a benefit of membership. We do not sell insurance.

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NZD 500,000
Professional Indemnity, each claim
NZD 20,000,000
Combined aggregate
84 months
Run-off for members registered as having ceased practice
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Coverage and limits

Coverage and Limits of Protection

Download: Certificate of Protection, 17 December 2025 to 17 December 2026 (PDF)

Certificate RUWML122025. Territory: New Zealand. All figures in NZD.

  • Professional Indemnity: NZD 500,000 each claim, NZD 20,000,000 aggregate. Legal defence costs are paid in addition, up to a separate NZD 500,000.
  • Disciplinary & Regulatory Representation: legal defence costs funded from that same NZD 500,000 limit.
  • Public Liability: NZD 500,000 each occurrence, NZD 20,000,000 aggregate. Defence costs are within the limit.
  • Products Liability: NZD 100,000. Defence costs are within the limit.
  • Combined aggregate: NZD 20,000,000 across all sections, all members, any one Protection Period.
  • Retroactive date: unlimited, excluding known claims and circumstances.
  • Excess: nil. Members do not pay an excess.
  • Run-off: 84 months (7 years) for members registered with TPANZ as having ceased practice.

Protection is granted subject to the Protection Wording, which prevails over this summary.

Protection specifics

Protection Coverage Specifics

You must be one of the following:

  • a financial member or financial affiliate member, and you maintain that status while working
  • a non-working member or affiliate registered with TPANZ in that capacity
  • a student registered with TPANZ (covered for the entire period of study, including placements)
  • an Honorary Life Member of TPANZ

In each case you must be a registered teacher, or a student teacher enrolled in an initial teacher education programme.

Civil liability for loss arising from a negligent act, error or omission. Legal representation where you are summoned before the Teaching Council and need it, including mandatory reports, Complaints Assessment Committee investigations and Disciplinary Tribunal proceedings, subject to the exclusion for allegations of abuse or harassment below.

Allegations of abuse, molestation, harassment, or conduct of a sexual or physically violent nature are not covered under any section. That includes the cost of responding to the allegation, and applies whether or not it is later withdrawn or dismissed.

Criminal offences, and claims arising from a dishonest, fraudulent or malicious breach of duty, are also not covered. Claims from a member who is not financial are not covered unless the member registered as having ceased practice, in which case run-off applies for 84 months. Claims not notified to the Mutual during the period in which you became aware of the circumstances are not covered. Any matter you knew of, or ought reasonably to have known of, before you joined is excluded.

No. The excess is nil, so you do not pay an excess in the event of a claim.

In New Zealand the Accident Compensation Act 2001 limits claims for personal injury covered by ACC. Public Liability protection is therefore aimed mainly at property damage and at liability that falls outside the ACC scheme.

No. Protection is discretionary. The Board of Red Union Workers' Mutual Limited decides each request for protection, in line with the Protection Wording. Read the Certificate of Protection for a summary and you can request the Protection Wording from our hotline. 

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Joining is cost-effective and easy, with protection included as a benefit of membership.

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+64 9 870 9182 · hotline@teachersunion.co.nz