Employers' liability insurance: claiming for a work-related injury or illness

If you want to make a claim after a work-related illness or injury, but can't get the information you need from your employer, find out how to find the right insurer. 

First published: 18/04/2016 Last updated: 20/03/2023 See all updates

If you were injured or became ill as a result of your work, you could be entitled to compensation from your employer. Most employers must have employers' liability insurance to help pay this compensation to you.  

It may be helpful to speak to your employer about this in the first instance, but this may not always be possible. For example, where your injury or illness resulted from your work with a former employer and they're no longer in business.

Specialist tracing offices 

For policies sold from 2011 onwards, general insurers have had to publish an employers' liability register (ELR). This lists their policies and the employers they cover.

However, it can still be difficult to find out which insurer is responsible for your claim, particularly if it relates to an incident that happened a long time ago.

A tracing office may be able to help you find the right insurer. You can search their records to try and find out who your employer’s liability insurer is.

Many firms use the Employers' Liability Tracing Office (ELTO). You can enter your details and search its records online, or you can contact [email protected].

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