# Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, the benefit most eligible workers don't know exists
IIDB is basically money the system owes you if work has permanently damaged your health, and loads of people in construction qualify without realising. It doesn't fix the injury, but it can take the edge off the money stress and open doors to other support.
Quick rule of thumb: if you've got HAVS, serious hearing loss, lung disease, a cancer linked to work, or long-term joint/nerve problems from the job, there's a decent chance you're leaving money on the table right now.
1. What IIDB is and who can get it
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit is a weekly, tax-free payment from DWP if you're disabled because of:
- An accident at work, or
- A prescribed disease caused by your job.
Key basics:
- You must have been an employee or on an approved training scheme when it happened · you can't claim for self-employed work.
- Your disablement must have lasted, or be expected to last, at least 90 days from the accident or onset of disease.
- DWP assess how much you're disabled as a percentage (for example, 20%, 40%), based on set guidance.
- You don't have to be off work or "totally done in" · plenty of people still working part-time or in lighter roles get IIDB.
2. Prescribed diseases that matter most in construction
There are 70+ prescribed diseases. This is the shortlist that bites in construction:
| Code | Disease | Caused by |
|---|---|---|
| A10 | Occupational deafness | Noise-induced hearing loss from long-term exposure to loud tools/plant |
| A11 | Vibration (HAVS) | Hand-arm vibration syndrome from breakers, grinders, hammer drills etc. |
| A12 | Carpal Tunnel Syndrome | Often from using hand-held vibrating tools in specific patterns over time |
| A14 | Osteoarthritis of the knee | Long-term heavy kneeling/lifting in certain occupations |
| D1 | Pneumoconiosis (including silicosis and asbestosis) | Lung scarring from respirable crystalline silica and asbestos |
| D3 | Mesothelioma | Cancer of the lung lining, almost always from asbestos |
| D8 | Lung cancer with silicosis | For people with both silicosis and lung cancer |
COPD, asthma and others are also covered when linked to particular dusts and jobs.
The full list of diseases and the jobs that qualify sits in the Prescribed Diseases Regulations and DWP's technical guidance, any adviser or CAB can pull that for you.
3. How to claim, step by step
You don't need a solicitor to start a claim. The basic route is:
Step 1, Decide if it's an accident or a disease claim
- Accident at work → use form BI100A.
- Disease caused by work (for example, HAVS, deafness, silicosis, mesothelioma) → use form BI100PD.
Step 2, Get the right form
- Download from GOV.UK ("Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit: How to claim").
- Or ring the IIDB centre on 0800 121 8379 and ask them to post the form and notes.
Step 3, Fill it in carefully
Include:
- Your work history (employers, dates, job titles).
- The specific tasks/exposures (for example, "breaker and grinder 6 hours a day", "cutting concrete dry", "working around diesel plant indoors").
- When the condition started and how it affects you now.
The date DWP get your completed form is usually the start date for your claim, claims can normally be backdated up to 3 months for most diseases if you ask, but not for hearing loss.
Step 4, Send it and keep copies
Send it to the address on the notes. Keep a copy of everything.
Step 5, Wait to hear about a medical
DWP will either make a decision from the papers, or ask the Health Assessment Advisory Service to arrange a medical assessment.
Tip for new starters Citizens Advice and Turn2Us both recommend getting help with the form if you can, CAB, a welfare rights unit or a union rep will know what DWP are looking for.
4. The medical and the disablement percentage
If you're sent for a medical:
- You'll see an approved DWP doctor or healthcare professional.
- They will:
- Confirm the diagnosis (for example, check tests, examine you).
- Ask about your symptoms and how they limit you day to day.
- Use DWP tables to work out a percentage disablement.
The percentage is meant to reflect how much your overall capacity is reduced compared to someone of the same age with no such condition.
- You normally need at least 14% disablement to be paid IIDB.
- For really serious conditions (for example, mesothelioma), disablement is usually set at 100%.
- Awards can be for a fixed period (for example, 5 years) or for life, depending on whether your condition might change.
If you disagree with the decision (no award, or too low a percentage), you can challenge it.
5. How much IIDB pays and how it works with other benefits
Exact weekly rates change each April, but the structure is:
- Up to 20% disablement · lower rate.
- 30%–100% disablement · higher rates, stepping up in 10% bands.
The current rates are always published on the GOV.UK IIDB page ("What you'll get").
Interaction with other benefits
- IIDB is tax-free and doesn't affect your State Pension entitlement.
- It can affect means-tested benefits (for example, Universal Credit, Pension Credit, income-based ESA, Housing Benefit) because it counts as income · but this isn't always a reason not to claim, as getting IIDB can trigger extra elements/add-ons in some cases.
- It's separate from PIP (Personal Independence Payment) or new-style ESA · you can often get IIDB and these if you meet their criteria.
Turn2Us or Advicelocal's benefit calculators can show you how IIDB might impact your overall package before you send the form.
6. Appeals, if DWP say no, or give you too low a percentage
If you think they've got it wrong:
Mandatory Reconsideration (MR)
Ask for one within one month of the decision letter, write why you think the decision is wrong and include extra evidence (for example, consultant letters, test results, a more detailed work history).
Appeal to tribunal
If they stick to their decision, you can appeal to an independent tribunal using form SSCS1 within a month of the MR notice.
Success rates on appeals across DWP benefits are high when people show up with good evidence, so it's worth getting help from CAB, a welfare rights team or a charity with experience in IIDB.
What to do next
- If you think you qualify, ring the IIDB helpline (0800 121 8379) and ask for the right claim form · it costs you nothing to ask.
- Before you fill the form in, get help from Citizens Advice, a welfare rights unit or your union rep · they know what DWP are looking for and can stop you underselling your case.
- Gather your work history · employers, dates, job titles, and the specific tasks/tools/exposures that caused the damage. The more detail, the better.
- If you've already been turned down, don't assume that's the end · mandatory reconsideration and tribunal appeals succeed regularly when people bring proper evidence and support.
Sources
- Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Regulations 1985 · full list of prescribed diseases and qualifying occupations.
- Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 · legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/4/contents · IIDB entitlement, disablement assessment, payment structure.
- DWP IIDB guidance · claim process (BI100A for accidents, BI100PD for diseases), medical assessment, percentage disablement, backdating.
- GOV.UK IIDB page · current weekly rates by disablement percentage.
- Citizens Advice IIDB guidance · step-by-step claim help, mandatory reconsideration and tribunal appeals.
- Turn2Us · benefits calculator for interaction between IIDB and means-tested benefits.
Know someone who needs this?
Templates you might need
Was this guide useful?
Didn't find what you were looking for?
Spotted something wrong or out of date? Email us at hello@kilnguides.co.uk.
In crisis? Samaritans 116 123 ·