Form ELD1 UK: Employers' Liability Disease Claims

What this document is

Form ELD1 is the claim notification form used at the start of a low value personal injury claim where the injury is a disease arising out of employment. It sits within the Pre-Action Protocol for Low Value Personal Injury (Employers' Liability and Public Liability) Claims and is designed for claims with a likely value between roughly £1,000 and £25,000.

Typical examples include occupational asthma, noise-induced hearing loss, dermatitis, hand-arm vibration syndrome, and other conditions linked to exposure at work. The ELD1 is sent electronically through the Claims Portal to the defendant employer's insurer, who then has a set period under the protocol to acknowledge and respond on liability.

The form captures the claimant's details, a summary of the disease and exposure, the basis on which the employer is said to be at fault, and information about legal funding. Getting the content right matters because the information on the ELD1 shapes how the claim is handled at every stage that follows.

How to use this document

1. Confirm the claim fits the disease protocol. Before completing the form, check the claim is for a disease linked to employment, is valued between around £1,000 and £25,000, and is not excluded from the protocol (for example, claims involving deceased claimants or those lacking capacity may need a different route). If the claim is better suited to the standard employers' liability pre-action protocol, the ELD1 will not be appropriate.
2. Gather the claimant and representative details. You will need the claimant's full name, address, date of birth, occupation, and National Insurance number, along with contact details for the legal representative handling the matter. Take time to make sure these are accurate, because errors here can slow down the insurer's acknowledgement and cause friction later when the claim moves through the portal.
3. Identify the correct defendant and insurer. The form requires the name and address of the employer being blamed and, where known, the name of their employers' liability insurer. Tracing the right insurer for historic exposure can be the single hardest part of a disease claim, particularly where the employer has changed hands, dissolved, or the exposure dates back many years.
4. Describe the disease, exposure and liability. Set out the nature of the disease, when symptoms appeared, the work activities and materials involved, and the reasons the employer is said to be at fault, for example a failure to provide protective equipment, training, or safe systems of work. Include information on time off work, medical attention received, any hospital stays, and whether rehabilitation has been recommended.
5. Complete funding details and sign the statement of truth. Disclose any conditional fee agreement, after-the-event insurance, or other funding arrangement. The claimant or their representative then signs the statement of truth, confirming the facts are believed to be true, before the form is submitted through the Claims Portal to start the protocol clock running.

Common questions