How do I claim Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit?
England, Scotland and Wales
You can download a form from the GOV.UK website (link opens in a new window). There is a different form depending on whether you are claiming for an accident or industrial disease.
You can also phone your local Industrial Injuries Benefit Centre (link opens in a new window) for a claim form.
Northern Ireland
You can download a form from the NI Direct website (link opens in a new window) or
Phone the Industrial Injuries Branch for a claim form:
- surnames beginning with A-D: 023 8236 6514
- surnames beginning with E-L: 023 8236 6512
- surnames beginning with M-Mi: 023 8236 6511
- surnames beginning with Mo-Z: 023 8236 6513
Claims for IIDB and extra allowances can be complicated and so before making a claim you should seek advice from a specialist adviser as any entitlement to the benefit and the amount you may get will depend on your individual circumstances. You can use our Find an Adviser tool to find advice in your local area,
For most diseases meeting the IIDB criteria, you do not have to have worked in an occupation for any minimum length of time.
There is also generally no time limit for claiming IIDB. You can still claim if your accident happened or disease started some years ago.
There are however some exceptions to the general rule that there is no length of time that must have been worked in an occupation in order to claim IIBD for a few specific industrial diseases.
For Example,
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if you have occupational deafness you must have worked in a prescribed occupation for 10 years and claim within five years of having done so.
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If you have occupational asthma you must claim within 10 years of working in a prescribed occupation.
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If you have cataracts you must have worked in a prescribed occupation for five years or more
A doctor or other medical professional will assess you after you make your claim. They will assess how your disability affects you. The extent of your disablement will be stated as a percentage and you must usually be assessed as having at least 14% disablement to get benefit, although there are exceptions to this.
What documents do I need to claim Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit?
When you claim IIDB, you have to provide your national insurance number and evidence of your identity.
A claim can be backdated for up to three months if you would have been entitled to it earlier. It does not matter why your claim is late. Request this when claiming.
You cannot ask for Disablement Benefit to be backdated if you are claiming for loss of hearing.