Claim Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit for Dupuytren's contracture
Who is eligible to claim Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, because of Dupuytren’s contracture affecting the hand, and how to claim.
You may be able to get Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit if you have Dupuytren’s contracture caused by your work.
Dupuytren’s contracture is a condition where, over time, one or more fingers permanently bend in towards the palm of your hand and can no longer be straightened. This condition can also affect the thumb.
Eligibility
You must have Dupuytren’s contracture that started while both of the following applied:
- you were employed for 10 years or more in jobs that involved using hand-held powered tools with internal parts that vibrate
- you used the tools for 2 hours or more a day for 3 or more days a week for all of the 10-year period
And as a result of that work, you developed ‘fixed flexion deformity’ of one or more of your finger joints. This means that for each finger affected, one or more of the joints of your finger must be permanently bent.
The illustration shows the joints between the fingers and the palm (metacarpophalangeal joints) and the joints along the finger (interphalangeal joints).
If only the joint between your finger and your palm is affected, then the permanent bend must be more than 45 degrees.
If any of the joints along the finger are affected, they can be permanently bent to any degree.
You may have developed the permanent bend to your finger joints while you were working.
If you developed the permanent bend to your finger after leaving your job, you also need to show that one of the following applied::
- the joint between your finger and the palm of your hand had started to bend while you were working in that job
- changes had started to occur to your palm, for example thickening of the skin or development of ‘palmar nodules’ (small lumps on your palm) while you were working in that job
Read more information about Dupuytren’s contracture on the NHS website.
You cannot claim Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit if you were self-employed.
How to claim
Download and print claim form BI100PD.
You can ask for a printed version of the form by calling an Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (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
If you live abroad call +44 (0) 191 206 9390
Monday to Friday, 8am to 7.30pm
Find out about call charges
Alternative formats
Call an IIDB centre or write to Barnsley IIDB Centre to ask for alternative formats such as braille, large print or audio CD.
Barnsley IIDB Centre
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 1SY
Where to send the form
Send the completed form to:
Barnsley IIDB Centre
Post Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 1SY
If you live abroad
Send the completed form to:
International Pension Centre
The Pension Service 11
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 1LW
Medical assessment
If you’re eligible to claim Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit for Dupuytren’s contracture and live in the UK, you may need a medical assessment with a trained healthcare professional.
The healthcare professional will ask you about your condition, to assess the level of disability caused by this disease.
The level of your disability will affect the amount of benefit you may get.
If you live abroad, you may be asked to send a medical report.
Last updated 28 March 2022 + show all updates
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Updated the eligibility conditions for claiming Industrial Injuries Disablement benefit because of Dupuytren's contracture.
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First published.