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Reduced Earnings Allowance

If you can't earn as much as you normally could because of an accident or disease caused by your work, you may be able to get Reduced Earnings Allowance (REA).

Who is eligible?

You may qualify for Reduced Earnings Allowance if you're suffering from an illness or disability caused by a work-related accident or disease that happened before 1 October 1990.

How much do you get?

£64.66 per week is the maximum rate.

Your individual circumstances, for example whether or not you're working, can affect the amount you get. You'll need to contact Industrial Injuries Branch for more details.

How it's paid

Direct Payment into an account is the Social Security Agency’s normal way of paying pensions and benefits. It is a safe, convenient and efficient method of payment

Effect on benefits

The following benefits may be affected if you start to get Reduced Earnings Allowance:

How to claim

It's important to claim straight away or you could lose the benefit. Ask Industrial Injuries Branch or your local Social Security / Jobs and Benefits office for a claim form.

You'll need to prove your identity when making a claim. You'll also have to answer questions about your circumstances and background and provide official documents to support that information.

What to do if your circumstances change

Tell Industrial Injuries Branch or your local Social Security / Jobs and Benefits office if your circumstances change. Although in most cases this is unlikely to affect Reduced Earnings Allowance payments.

Changes that don't affect the payment include:

  • going into hospital
  • going into a nursing home or residential care

If you leave the UK to live permanently outside the European Economic Area (EEA), you may not be able to get Reduced Earnings Allowance.

But if it's a temporary visit, you can usually claim for the first three months of your stay. This can be longer in special circumstances, but you'll need to check with Industrial Injuries Branch to see if you qualify.

What else you need to know

If you get more than £2 a week Reduced Earnings Allowance when you reach State Pension age (currently 60 for women and 65 for men) and you're not in regular employment, it'll be replaced by another benefit called Retirement Allowance.

There is another kind of benefit, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, for people who have become disabled as a result of an accident or disease at work.

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