Who can get it?
You can usually claim Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) if all of these apply:
- You were an employed earner — an employee — when it happened (the self-employed are generally not covered by this scheme)
- You became disabled because of an accident at work, or while doing something connected with your work
- Or you developed one of the listed prescribed diseases through your job
Prescribed diseases include things like occupational asthma, occupational deafness, dermatitis, hand-arm vibration syndrome (vibration white finger), and a range of asbestos-related diseases. There's a long official list — your job has to be one where that disease is a known risk.
No National Insurance test · not means-tested
You don't need to have paid any National Insurance to get IIDB, and your savings and income don't affect it. It's about the injury or disease and how disabled you are — not your finances.
How it's assessed — and what you get
You'll usually be invited to a medical assessment. A healthcare professional looks at how the accident or disease has affected you and gives a percentage of disablement. You normally need to be assessed at 14% or more to be paid (some respiratory diseases such as pneumoconiosis and byssinosis can be paid from a lower percentage).
The benefit is then paid weekly at a rate that depends on your percentage, from 20% up to 100% in 10% steps, with lower amounts for assessments between 14% and 20%. For the year from April 2026 the figures are:
| Disablement | Weekly rate (2026/27) |
|---|
| 100% | £233.90 |
| 90% | £210.51 |
| 80% | £187.12 |
| 70% | £163.73 |
| 60% | £140.34 |
| 50% | £116.95 |
| 40% | £93.56 |
| 30% | £70.17 |
| 20% | £46.78 |
Assessments of 14% to under 20% are paid at lower fixed amounts. The 100% rate is set each April by DWP — always check the current GOV.UK figure for your exact amount.
Extra payments in some cases
If you're assessed at 100% and need daily care, you may also get Constant Attendance Allowance. Older claims may include Reduced Earnings Allowance. There are also separate lump-sum schemes for some diseases — the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers' Compensation) Act 1979 payment and the 2008 Diffuse Mesothelioma Scheme. Check the GOV.UK IIDB pages for these.
This is not the same as suing for compensation
Important — two different things
IIDB is a state benefit. A compensation claim is a separate legal case. They are not the same and you can do both.
IIDB is paid by the DWP. You do not have to prove anyone was at fault — you just have to show you were disabled by a work accident or a prescribed disease.
A personal injury compensation claim is a legal claim against your employer or their insurer, usually run by a solicitor. There you do normally have to show your employer was at fault, and there are time limits (generally three years). It's a separate process with its own rules.
You can claim IIDB and still bring a compensation claim. Be aware that a compensation payout can affect some means-tested benefits, so get advice. If you want to pursue a legal claim, use a regulated professional — find a UK solicitor through Sorted (we take no affiliate fees).
Does it affect my other benefits?
Because it's not means-tested, IIDB can usually be paid on top of most other benefits — including Statutory Sick Pay, ESA, Universal Credit and PIP. It doesn't stop you claiming PIP, which looks at how your condition affects daily living and getting around.
It does count as income, so it can reduce the amount of some means-tested benefits. Worth checking your overall position rather than assuming — Sorted's free benefits checker and Citizens Advice can help you see the full picture.
How to claim
Do this now — free
Have ready: the date and details of the accident or when the disease started, your job and employer at the time, and any medical evidence (GP, hospital, occupational health).
- You can usually claim from 15 weeks (90 days) after the accident, or after the disease started.
- Get the claim form from the GOV.UK Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit page, or contact the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Centre (contact details are on the GOV.UK page) to request it.
- Send it in with details of your accident or disease, your job at the time, and any medical evidence.
- You'll usually be invited to a medical assessment that decides your percentage of disablement and your weekly rate.
Free help and advice
Citizens Advice can help you work out whether to claim, fill in the form and check how it fits with your other benefits — for free.
Where it applies
IIDB is a Great Britain scheme, covering England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland runs its own equivalent Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit through the Department for Communities — the rules and rates are broadly the same; check nidirect for the NI route.