6 days ago
Full list of injuries and illnesses that mean you qualify for little-known benefit worth £11,715 – are you eligible?
THOUSANDS of workers are missing out on a little-known benefit that could be worth up to £11,715 a year.
The Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit is worth £225.30 per week but the exact amount you will get depends on your circumstances.
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As the name suggests, the benefit can be claimed by people who have been involved in an accident at work.
You can also claim if you developed one of 70 conditions, diseases or illnesses due to work.
These include common conditions such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, deafness or osteoarthritis.
The level of your disability will affect the amount of the benefit you may get.
To claim the benefit you need to be assessed by a ' medical advisor' and will receive a grade on a scale of one to 100%.
Normally you need to be assessed as 14% disabled or more to get the benefit.
Those who are considered to be 100% disabled will receive £225.30.
Meanwhile, if you are deemed 50% disabled then you will get £112.65.
The payments drop to £45.06 for workers who are considered to be 20% disabled.
To claim the benefit you need to fill in and post a claim form.
You need to complete the form BI100A if you are claiming for accidents caused by work.
Meanwhile, if you are claiming for a disease caused by work then you need to fill in the form BI100PD.
Alternatively, you can request a claim form by phone by calling 0800 121 8379.
The lines are open from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday.
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us' benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto's free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto's data.
You can use Policy in Practice's calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you'll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
Once you submit your form your claim will be assessed using the information you provided, or at a face to face medical assessment.
You will be contacted if you need a face to face medical assessment.
What other help is available?
If you are struggling with the cost of food then you should check where your nearest food bank is.
The Trussell Trust has hundreds of food banks across the UK.
You can find your nearest one by visiting
The trust's food banks issue emergency parcels to people who are struggling to cover the cost of food themselves.
Meanwhile, if your disability means that you have fallen behind on your energy bills, you might be able to get a grant to wipe any debt.
British Gas and Octopus Energy, the UK's two biggest energy firms, both run schemes offering customers grants worth up to £1,700.
You may also be entitled to a reduction in your Council Tax bill if your home has certain features that are essential to you living there.
For example, if you built an extension for a downstairs bedroom which increased the size of your property and pushed up your Council Tax bill.
Contact your local council to apply for a Council Tax Disabled Band Reduction.
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