Businesses will need to provide an ERN to get Employers Liability cover

The insurance industry has taken proactive steps to help people who have suffered an injury or a disease at work identify the relevant insurer quickly.

By updating the antiquated practice of keeping Employers Liability Insurance, the Employers Liability Tracing Office can assure that claims can be resolved quicker and more efficiently than before.

It is now compulsory for any new policy, renewal or historical policy that has a claim against it to be recorded in the Employers Liability Database (ELD).  The ELD will contain all information relating to a Policyholder and all their subsidiaries covered by the Employers’ Liability Policy.

The ELD was set up with hope of enabling policyholders and claimants to trace the correct insurer more easily.

The database will work by linking policies with the policyholders Employers Reference Number (ERN). The ERN is a unique reference, issued by HM Revenue and Customs and is normally used for tax purposes.  

All businesses in the UK are required to have the ERN if it employs one or more people and it will be a legal requirement to produce the ERN when purchasing Employers Liability Insurance from April 2012. Without it, businesses cannot get Employers Liability cover.

21/07/11