INDUSTRIAL INJURIES DISABLEMENT BENEFIT STATISTICS
7 Mar 2002 10:44 AM
Coverage: Great Britain
Theme: Social and Welfare
The Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) Statistics,
quarter ending December 2001, are published today via this First
Release. This report provides information on new claims and first
diagnoses of prescribed diseases in Great Britain and overseas in the
fourth quarter of 2001.
The statistics provide analyses of the characteristics of the IIDB
new claims and first diagnosed disease assessments. The types of
analysis include age, percentage disablement and occupational
groupings.
Main findings:
- New claims have been fairly steady at around 15 to 18 thousand per
quarter over the last two years with an upward blip to 22 thousand
in quarter 3 2000, caused by an increase in claims to Vibration
White Finger (A11), following interest from mining groups and DTI.
- The main characteristics have been steady for the last two years:
- About 41% of claims are for accidents and the rest for prescribed
diseases.
- Overall, it is estimated that about 25% of claims are successful.
- Most prescribed disease assessments are made for people in the
mining and manufacturing industries.
- Most assessments are for men outside the southern regions of
England, reflecting Britain's industrial heritage and past
employment patterns.
- There were 15,200 new claims to IIDB in quarter 4 2001. This was
13% lower than in the same quarter in 2000, most of the fall being
due to fewer claims for Vibration White Finger.
New claims to IIDB:
Source: 10% sample of IIDB claims in Great Britain and overseas.
- The number of newly diagnosed prescribed diseases in quarter 4 2001
was 1,545, down 20% on the previous year; again this was mainly as
a result of fewer Vibration White Finger diagnoses, although it was
the most common prescribed disease assessed in quarter 4 2001,
representing 40% of all assessments.
Newly diagnosed prescribed diseases:
Source: 100% count of IIDB newly diagnosed prescribed diseases in
Great Britain and overseas
NOTES TO EDITORS
Background to the Industrial Injuries Scheme
The Industrial Injuries Scheme provides non-contributory, no-fault
benefits for disablement caused by accidents at work or one of the
listed prescribed industrial diseases known to be a risk of
occupation. The scheme covers employed earners as defined for
National Insurance (NI) purposes.
To get IIDB a person needs to have suffered a disablement as a result
of an industrial accident or prescribed disease. Normally a person's
disablement has to be assessed at 14% or more to receive benefit,
except for certain respiratory diseases which require a 1% assessment
and occupational deafness which requires a 20% assessment. An
assessment of less than 14% may become payable if it can be added to
other assessment(s) to form an aggregate pension of at least 14% in
total.
A "prescribed disease" is an industrial disease prescribed by
regulations to be included in the industrial injuries benefit scheme.
Information source
The source of the quarterly and annual data is the Department's local
disablement benefit offices, which provide data on IIDB claims and
first diagnoses on prescribed disease assessments.
Quarterly claims data and annual assessment data are taken from a 10%
sample of all IIDB claims and assessments for accidents and
prescribed diseases, while quarterly first diagnosis data, for
prescribed diseases only, are based on 100% data. The number of first
assessments, in the quarter, are not necessarily those made on the
claims received over the same period. There will be a large number of
assessments made on claims received in the previous quarter(s), and
similarly a large number of claims received that will not be assessed
until subsequent quarters. However, the data provides an indication
of the relationship between the number of claims made and the number
of successful assessments. We estimate around a quarter of all claims
are successful.
Most IIDB claims for prescribed diseases prove to be unsuccessful
because either they fail the prescription conditions or claimants are
not diagnosed on examination. There can be a considerable delay from
the time of claim to the diagnosis and subsequent benefit assessment.
Data are collected on a monthly basis, for both claims and first
diagnosed assessments.
Further information
More detailed tables, relating to prescribed diseases, are available
on request from the contact point below.
To obtain copies contact:
Electronic copies and additional analyses -
Sandra Cartner: 0191-225-7998
Paper copies: ASD Secretariat: 0207-962-8192
Issued by:
Information Centre
Analytical Services Division
Department for Work and Pensions
Telephone :
Press Office : 020 7238 0866
Public Enquiries : 020 7712 2171
DWP website : www.dwp.gov.uk/asd
Statistician:
Martin McGill
Information Centre
Analytical Services Division
Department for Work and Pensions
Room BP5201
Benton Park View
Benton Park Road
Longbenton
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
NE98 1YX
Telephone : 0191 225 7661
Facsimile : 0191 225 3193
email : Martin.McGill@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Next Publication: 6 June 2002