Reduced Earnings Allowance

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1. Overview

If you cannot earn as much as you used to because of an accident or disease caused by your work, you could get up to £88.60 per week Reduced Earnings Allowance.

You can only get it for accidents that happened, or diseases that started, before 1 October 1990.

You may also be able to get Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB).

Effect on other benefits

Reduced Earnings Allowance could affect any income-related benefits that you or your partner get.

Contact the Barnsley Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) centre for details.

2. What you'll get

You could get up to £88.60 per week.

What you get depends on how much you earn in your regular employment.

Ask the Barnsley Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) centre about how much you can get.

Reduced Earnings Allowance will be replaced by another benefit called Retirement Allowance if both the following apply:

  • you reach State Pension age
  • you’re not in regular employment

How you’re paid

All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into your bank, building society or credit union account.

3. Eligibility

You could get Reduced Earnings Allowance if you have an illness or disability caused by a work-related accident or disease that happened before 1 October 1990.

You must also meet all of the following criteria:

  • your level of disability is assessed to be at least 1%
  • you cannot return to your regular occupation
  • you cannot do other work with the same level of earnings as your regular occupation

Going abroad

If you leave the UK to live abroad permanently, you may not be able to get Reduced Earnings Allowance.

Check if you can get benefits if you move to the EU, European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.

For temporary visits to countries outside the EEA, you can usually claim for the first 3 months of your stay.

This can be longer in special circumstances - check with the International Pensions Centre to see if you qualify.

International Pensions Centre Telephone: 0191 218 7777
Textphone: 0191 218 7021
Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm
Find out about call charges

4. How to claim

You’ll need to fill in and post a claim form.

Contact the Barnsley Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) centre to get a form.

The form comes with notes that will:

  • help you fill it in
  • tell you where to send it

Claim straight away or you might lose benefit.

Contact the Barnsley IIDB centre

Barnsley IIDB Centre
Telephone: 0800 121 8379
Textphone: 0800 169 0314
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 121 8379
Monday to Friday, 8am to 7:30pm
Find out about call charges.

Alternative formats

Call to ask for alternative formats, such as braille, large print or audio CD.

5. Report a change in circumstances

You, or the person who claims on your behalf, must tell the office that deals with your payments about any changes to your circumstances or personal details. Let them know straight away if:

  • the condition for which you’re getting the benefit improves, gets worse, or you were misdiagnosed
  • you change your name or gender
  • you get married or form a civil partnership
  • you change your address
  • you change your phone number
  • you change your bank details
  • you leave or intend to leave the country
  • you go into prison or are held in custody
  • your immigration status changes, if you’re not a British or Irish citizen
  • you change the person who has authority to act on your behalf
  • you change your work pattern, job role, employer, employment status, or you get a promotion
  • how much you can work changes because of your condition
  • your condition was caused by service in the UK armed forces and you get compensation from the government

There are different changes you need to report if you also get Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit or Constant Attendance Allowance.

You could be taken to court or have to pay a penalty if you give wrong information or do not report a change in your circumstances.

How to report a change

Call the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) helpline or write to the Barnsley or Bradford IIDB Centre.

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit helpline

Telephone: 0800 121 8379
Textphone: 0800 169 0314
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 121 8379
British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm
Find out about call charges

Barnsley IIDB Centre

Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 1SY

Bradford IIDB Centre

Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 2EW

If you’ve been paid too much

You may have to repay the money if you:

  • did not report a change straight away
  • gave wrong information
  • were overpaid by mistake

Find out how to repay the money you owe from benefit overpayment.