Prescribed industrial diseases list: IIDB disease and job checker

Last updated · By Mustafa Bilgic · List from the Department for Work and Pensions' Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefits technical guidance and the Prescribed Diseases Regulations 1985

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) is paid for more than 70 prescribed diseases, each linked in law to the kind of work that causes it. The list is in four groups: A for a physical cause, such as occupational deafness, vibration white finger and carpal tunnel syndrome; B for a biological cause, such as infections from animals; C for a chemical cause; and D for any other cause, including pneumoconiosis, mesothelioma, occupational asthma and COPD. You must have been employed, not self-employed, in a job listed for your disease. Search all 77 entries below by disease, job or number.

This page lists every prescribed disease with the jobs it covers, explains the special rules for deafness, vibration conditions and lung diseases, and shows the weekly amounts. The checker searches the full list, and the deafness tool works out an occupational deafness assessment from your hearing test results.

How to read this list. The list is Appendix 1 of the Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefits technical guidance on GOV.UK, updated 31 March 2026. The legal list is Schedule 1 to the Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Regulations 1985 on legislation.gov.uk, and the DWP says its job descriptions are examples, not a complete list: if in doubt, claim. A few typing errors in the guidance have been corrected against the Regulations. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

The four groups of prescribed diseases

Each prescribed disease has a letter for its group and a number, such as A11 or D3. Some entries cover two related conditions, such as A3(a) and A3(b).

The four groups of prescribed diseases. Source: DWP, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefits: technical guidance, section 5.2 and Appendix 1.
GroupCauseEntries in the listExamples
APhysical, such as noise, vibration, radiation or pressure14Occupational deafness (A10), vibration white finger (A11), carpal tunnel syndrome (A12), osteoarthritis of the knee in coal miners (A14)
BBiological: animals, plants or other living organisms18Anthrax (B1), leptospira infection such as Weil's disease (B3), tuberculosis (B5), hepatitis B or C (B8B), Lyme disease (B14)
CChemical31Lung cancer (C4), primary carcinoma of the skin (C21), angiosarcoma of the liver (C24), chloracne (C33)
DAny other cause14Pneumoconiosis including silicosis and asbestosis (D1), mesothelioma (D3), occupational asthma (D7), COPD in coal miners (D12)

Prescribed disease checker

Search all 77 entries by disease, job or number

Checker

    A match shows the disease is on the list. You also need a job of the kind listed, and a DWP medical assessment decides how disabled you are.

    How a prescribed disease claim works

    IIDB covers people who were employed, or on an approved employment training scheme or course, in a job that caused their disease. You cannot claim it if you were self-employed. The DWP asks whether the disease is prescribed, whether it is prescribed for your job and work history, whether you have it, whether it is due to the nature of your job, when it started, and whether it has caused a loss of faculty. You can claim at any time on or after the date you think you got the disease, using form BI100PD, and a medical adviser assesses your disablement on a scale of 1 to 100%.

    • You normally need an assessment of at least 14%. From 14% to 19% you are paid at the 20% rate, and above that the assessment is rounded to the nearest 10%.
    • For most diseases IIDB cannot be paid for the first 15 weeks (90 days, not counting Sundays) after the disease started.
    • Claims for C4, C22(b), C24(a), D3, D8, D8A, D10 and D11 are fast-tracked and always given priority.
    • In Northern Ireland, IIDB is run by the Department for Communities. The scheme there also covers more than 70 diseases, and nidirect links to its own list of prescribed diseases and occupations.

    Full list of prescribed diseases

    The table lists every entry in Appendix 1 in short form. Search for a disease in the checker and open "Full description and jobs covered" to see its full wording and the kinds of work it is prescribed for. The DWP says the jobs are examples and you should not be put off claiming just because your job is not listed.

    All prescribed diseases in short form; the checker above shows the full wording and the jobs. Source: DWP, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefits: technical guidance, Appendix 1 (GOV.UK, updated 31 March 2026), which follows Schedule 1 to the Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Regulations 1985.
    NumberDisease or injury
    A1Leukaemia (other than chronic lymphocytic leukaemia) or primary cancer of the bone, bladder, breast, colon, liver, lung, ovary, stomach, testis or thyroid.
    A2Cataract
    A3(a) and A3(b)a) Dysbarism, including decompression sickness, barotrauma. For example, the bends.; b) Osteonecrosis
    A4Task specific focal dystonia of the hand or forearm. For example, writer's cramp.
    A5Subcutaneous cellulitis of the hand.
    A6Bursitis or subcutaneous cellulitis at or about the knee, for example housemaid's knee
    A7Bursitis or subcutaneous cellulitis at or about the elbow
    A8Traumatic inflammation of the tendons of the hand or forearm, or of the associated tendon sheaths. Tenosynovitis.
    A10Occupational deafness
    A11Blanching, numbness or tingling of the fingers caused by vibration (previously known as vibration white finger)
    A12Carpal tunnel syndrome
    A13Osteoarthritis of the hip
    A14Osteoarthritis of the knee
    A15Dupuytren's contracture of the hand
    B1(a) and B1(b)Anthrax-cutaneous; Anthrax-pulmonary
    B2Glanders
    B3Infection by leptospira. For example, swamp fever, swineherd's disease, and Weil's disease.
    B4(a)Ankylostomiasis-cutaneous larva migrans
    B4(b)Ankylostomiasis-iron deficiency anaemia
    B5Tuberculosis. TB infection.
    B6Extrinsic allergic alveolitis.
    B7Infection by organisms of the genus brucella. Brucellosis.
    B8AInfection by hepatitis A virus
    B8BInfection by hepatitis B or C virus
    B9Infection by Streptococcus suis. A very rare form of meningitis from exposure to infected pigs or pork products.
    B10(a)Avian chlamydiosis
    B10(b)Ovine chlamydiosis.
    B11Q fever.
    B12Orf.
    B13Hydatidosis.
    B14Lyme disease
    B15Anaphylaxis
    C1(a)Anaemia with a haemoglobin concentration of 9g/dL or less, and a blood film showing punctate basophilia;
    C1(b) and C1(c)Peripheral neuropathy; Central nervous system toxicity.
    C2Central nervous system toxicity characterised by parkinsonism.
    C3(a)Phossy Jaw
    C3(b)Peripheral polyneuropathy caused by organic compounds of phosphorus
    C4Primary carcinoma of the bronchus or lung.
    C5(a)Central nervous system toxicity characterised by tremor and neuropsychiatric disease.
    C5(b)Central nervous system toxicity characterised by combined cerebellar and cortical degeneration.
    C6Peripheral neuropathy
    C7Acute non-lymphatic leukaemia
    C12(a) and C12(b)Peripheral neuropathy;; Central nervous system toxicity
    C13Cirrhosis of the liver
    C16(a) and C16(b)Neurotoxicity; Cardiotoxicity
    C17Chronic beryllium disease
    C18Emphysema
    C19(a) and C19(b)Peripheral neuropathy; Central nervous system toxicity
    C20Dystrophy of the cornea (including ulceration of the corneal surface) of the eye
    C21Primary carcinoma of the skin
    C22(a) and C22(b)Primary carcinoma of the mucous membrane of the nose or paranasal sinuses; Primary carcinoma of the bronchus or lung
    C23Primary neoplasm of the epithelial lining of the urinary tract.
    C24(a) Angiosarcoma of the liver; or; (b) Osteolysis of the terminal phalanges of the fingers; or; (c) Sclerodermatous thickening of the skin of the hands; or; (d) Liver fibrosis due to exposure to vinyl chloride monomer
    C24ARaynaud's phenomenon due to exposure to vinyl chloride monomer
    C25Vitiligo.
    C26(a) and C26(b)Liver toxicity; Kidney toxicity.
    C27Liver toxicity.
    C29Peripheral neuropathy
    C30(a) and C30(b)Dermatitis; Ulceration of the mucous membrane or the epidermis.
    C31Bronchiolitis obliterans
    C32Carcinoma of the nasal cavity or associated air sinuses
    C33Chloracne
    C34Extrinsic allergic alveolitis
    D1Pneumoconiosis. Includes silicosis and asbestosis.
    D2Byssinosis. A respiratory condition.
    D3Diffuse mesothelioma (primary neoplasm of the mesothelium of the pleura, pericardium or peritoneum)
    D4Allergic rhinitis due to exposure to any of the listed agents
    D5Non-infective dermatitis of external origin
    D6Carcinoma of the nasal cavity or associated air sinuses (nasal carcinoma). Cancer of the nose.
    D7Asthma due to exposure to any of the listed agents (occupational asthma)
    D8Primary carcinoma of the lung where there is accompanying evidence of asbestosis
    D8APrimary carcinoma of the lung
    D9Unilateral or bilateral diffuse pleural thickening
    D10Primary carcinoma of the lung.
    D11Primary carcinoma of the lung where there is accompanying silicosis.
    D12Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with a set fall in lung function, in coal miners
    D13Primary carcinoma of the nasopharynx

    Occupational deafness (A10)

    Occupational deafness is sensorineural hearing loss of at least 50 dB in each ear, averaged over the 1, 2 and 3 kHz frequencies, and due to occupational noise in at least one ear. It is prescribed only if you have worked in the listed noisy jobs for at least 10 years in total, and a claim must normally be made within 5 years of the last day you worked in one of them. Payment can only be made from the date your claim form arrives, and the assessment must be 20% or more.

    The assessment follows Schedule 3 to the 1985 Regulations. The average loss for each ear, due to all causes, is turned into a percentage using the table below, with any fraction over 50 dB rounded down. The two ears are then combined: (percentage for the better ear x 4 + percentage for the worse ear) / 5, the better ear being the one with the smaller loss.

    Occupational deafness: percentage for each ear. Source: Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Regulations 1985, Schedule 3, Part II.
    Average hearing loss at 1, 2 and 3 kHzDegree of disablement
    50 to 53 dB20%
    54 to 60 dB30%
    61 to 66 dB40%
    67 to 72 dB50%
    73 to 79 dB60%
    80 to 86 dB70%
    87 to 95 dB80%
    96 to 105 dB90%
    106 dB or more100%

    Occupational deafness assessment

    From your average hearing loss in each ear

    Estimate
    Estimated assessment and weekly IIDB
     

    For example, 55 dB in one ear gives 30% and 70 dB in the other gives 50%. The combined figure is (30 x 4 + 50) / 5 = 34%, which is paid at the 30% rate of £70.17 a week in 2026/27.

    Vibration white finger, carpal tunnel syndrome and Dupuytren's contracture

    A11, previously known as vibration white finger, covers cold-induced, episodic blanching of the fingers, or continuous numbness or tingling with reduced sensation and dexterity, caused by vibration. The jobs include using hand-held chain saws on wood, hand-held rotary tools for grinding, sanding or polishing metal, hand-held percussive metalworking tools, and hand-held powered percussive drills or hammers in mining, quarrying, demolition and road work.

    A12, carpal tunnel syndrome, is prescribed for using hand-held powered tools whose internal parts vibrate at the time symptoms first develop, or for repeated bending of the wrist back and forth for at least 20 hours a week over a total of 12 months in the 24 months before symptoms began. A15, Dupuytren's contracture, needs at least 10 years in total of using vibrating hand-held powered tools, for at least 2 hours a day on 3 or more days a week.

    Lung diseases: pneumoconiosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer, asthma and COPD

    • Pneumoconiosis (D1), which includes silicosis and asbestosis, and byssinosis (D2) can be paid from an assessment of 1%.
    • Diffuse mesothelioma (D3) and asbestos-related lung cancer are assessed at 100%, and payment can be made from the date you were first disabled, but not for more than 3 months before your claim.
    • Occupational asthma (D7) must normally be claimed within 10 years of the last day you worked with exposure to the agent that caused it.
    • COPD (D12) is prescribed for coal miners with at least 20 years underground, or the equivalent with surface screen work, and cannot be paid separately if you already get benefit that takes full account of it, for example for pneumoconiosis assessed at 50% or more.

    For the government lump sum schemes for dust-related diseases, see our pages on Pneumoconiosis Act 1979 payments and the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme.

    How much IIDB is paid

    The weekly amount depends on your assessed level of disablement. These are the 2026/27 amounts; our IIDB rates page has a full calculator with the allowances paid alongside.

    Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit weekly amounts for 2026/27. Source: GOV.UK, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit: what you will get.
    Assessed level of disablementWeekly amount52 weeks
    100%£233.90£12,162.80
    90%£210.51£10,946.52
    80%£187.12£9,730.24
    70%£163.73£8,513.96
    60%£140.34£7,297.68
    50%£116.95£6,081.40
    40%£93.56£4,865.12
    30%£70.17£3,648.84
    20%£46.78£2,432.56

    Sources and methodology

    The list was read from the HTML tables in Appendix 1 of the DWP guidance, and each entry is shown as published, apart from corrections of obvious typing errors (such as "thyriod" and "onwood") checked against Schedule 1 to the 1985 Regulations. The checker matches every word you type against the number, name, jobs and notes of each entry. The deafness tool applies regulation 34, Schedule 3 Parts II and III and the rounding in regulation 15B.

    • Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefits: technical guidance, sections 5 and 14 (Appendix 1), Department for Work and Pensions, on GOV.UK.
    • Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Regulations 1985, regulations 2, 15B, 20, 25, 34 and 36, Schedule 1 and Schedule 3, on legislation.gov.uk.
    • Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, eligibility, amounts and how to claim, on GOV.UK, and for Northern Ireland on nidirect.

    Frequently asked questions

    What is a prescribed industrial disease?

    A disease the law recognises as a risk of certain jobs, so that people who worked in those jobs as employees can get Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit. There are more than 70, in four groups: A for a physical cause, B for a biological cause, C for a chemical cause and D for any other cause.

    Is vibration white finger a prescribed disease?

    Yes. It is prescribed disease A11, previously known as vibration white finger, for work with hand-held vibrating tools such as chain saws, rotary grinders and percussive drills or hammers. Carpal tunnel syndrome (A12) and Dupuytren's contracture (A15) are also prescribed for some vibrating tool work.

    Can I get IIDB for hearing loss?

    Yes, as occupational deafness (A10), if you have at least 50 dB of hearing loss in each ear, due to occupational noise in at least one ear, after at least 10 years in the listed noisy jobs. You must claim within 5 years of last doing that work, and the assessment must be 20% or more.

    How is occupational deafness assessed?

    Each ear gets a percentage from its average hearing loss at 1, 2 and 3 kHz, from 20% for 50 to 53 dB up to 100% for 106 dB or more. The two are combined as (better ear x 4 + worse ear) / 5 and rounded to the nearest 10%.

    What if my job is not on the list?

    The DWP says the jobs in its list are examples and not a complete list, so you should not be put off claiming just because your job is not listed. If in doubt, claim.

    Can self-employed people claim for a prescribed disease?

    No. You cannot claim Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit if you were self-employed. The disease must have been caused by work as an employee, or on an approved employment training scheme or course.

    Information only, not medical, financial or legal advice. Whether you have a prescribed disease, whether your job counts and how disabled you are is decided by the Department for Work and Pensions after a medical assessment. The deafness tool gives an estimate from the figures you enter. See our full disclaimer.

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