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icare (NSW)

icare is the NSW Government insurance and care agency. Sets workers compensation premiums, administers HBCF home warranty. Every NSW builder deals with icare.

By Chalkline. Last updated 14 May 2026. Verified 14 May 2026.

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icare (formally Insurance and Care NSW, the NSW Self Insurance Corporation) is the NSW Government insurance and care agency, created under the State Insurance and Care Governance Act 2015 (NSW). It is the entity NSW builders deal with for two key insurance products in the residential building industry:

  1. Workers compensation insurance under the Workers Compensation Act 1987 (NSW).
  2. The Home Building Compensation Fund (HBCF) under the Home Building Act 1989 (NSW), Part 6.

icare took over both schemes in 2015 from preceding agencies. The builder-facing interactions are still mostly the same, but the agency name and contact channels changed.

Workers compensation through icare.

  • Every NSW employer (including a sole-trader builder employing apprentices or labourers) must hold workers compensation insurance.
  • icare is the insurer; workers compensation premium calculations are managed by icare via an insurance broker or directly with the employer.
  • Premium is calculated on wages × premium rate, where the rate is set by industry classification. Residential building typically attracts a rate in the 4-7% range depending on the specific class and the employer’s claim history. Higher-claim builders pay more.
  • Annual renewal notice from icare lists the expected premium based on declared wages.
  • Claims are managed by icare’s scheme agent, not by icare directly. Builders typically interact with a claims manager during a worker injury claim.

HBCF through icare.

  • Every NSW residential builder doing work over $20,000 must obtain an HBCF Certificate of Eligibility (the “icare certificate”) before commencing work or accepting payment.
  • The certificate provides last-resort consumer protection covering incomplete work or major defects if the licensed builder dies, disappears, becomes insolvent, or has their licence suspended.
  • The premium is calculated by job value and the builder’s risk profile (recently-built portfolio, claim history, financial situation).
  • icare has tightened HBCF eligibility from approximately 2020 onwards: new entrant builders, financially stressed builders, and builders with prior claim histories face higher premiums or refusal.

icare’s customer-service profile. icare has been the subject of multiple inquiries (including a high-profile 2020 review) about its claims management on the workers comp side. As a builder, expect:

  • Premium notices annually for workers comp, with declared-wages reconciliation.
  • HBCF certificate applications lodged via icare’s broker network or directly via the icare portal.
  • Claim management experiences that vary widely by scheme agent and individual claim circumstances.

For builders.

  1. Engage an insurance broker with NSW construction-industry experience. They navigate icare’s workers comp and HBCF processes faster than a builder going direct.
  2. Reconcile your declared wages to actual wages each year. icare reconciles at renewal and adjusts premium if the discrepancy is significant.
  3. HBCF certificate is project-specific: each major job needs its own. Build the certificate application into your pre-contract checklist.

Other-state equivalents.

  • VIC: Victorian Managed Insurance Authority (VMIA) for builder warranty; WorkSafe Victoria for workers comp.
  • QLD: WorkCover Queensland for workers comp; QBCC for home warranty.
  • WA, SA, TAS, ACT, NT: each has state-specific agencies; the structure varies.

Also known as: icare NSW, NSW Self Insurance Corporation, SafeWork insurance scheme (informal).

Category: Compliance / insurance / NSW.

See also

Last updated: 2026-05-14. Verified: 2026-05-14.

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