Compared to other sectors the racing industry has a very good scheme to help prevent you being out of pocket as a result of an accident at (or on the way to) work. Both employers and employees contribute to the costs Racing Industry Accident Benefit Scheme (RIABS). The scheme is designed to ensure that you continue to receive the equivalent of your net wage if you are off work for longer than a month for a period of up to 2 years (104 weeks), up to a maximum currently of £350 per week. This will normally be made up of  Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) or if you are off work for more than 28 weeks Employment Support Allowance (formerly Incapacity Benefit), and a payment from RIABS to make up the difference between this and your normal take home pay.

Claim forms should be available from your employer but you can also download them from this or the NAOSS. Local welfare officers can help with the forms and liaise with your employer if necessary.

RIABS will normally kick in after one month of absence following a workplace accident; employers will continue to pay your wages for the first month.

Hopefully, you’ll make a full recovery and be back at work soon. Sometimes, however, an injury may mean you are unable to return to your normal work in racing or you may have limited capacity to undertake other forms of work. In these situations you may be eligible for a capital payment under RIABS and if you are assessed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as being 14% or more disabled you should be entitled to Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit. You can find out more about the Industrial Injuries scheme on the DWP or the Disability Alliance.

Help for disablement arising from accidents or serious physical or mental illness, is also provided by Disability Living Allowance. Claiming for DLA can be challenging and it is usually a good idea to seek help and advice from a welfare officer or from organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB). Your local CAB can be easily found in the phone directory or from www.citizensadvice.org.uk.

Get it Logged!

It is very important that you have any accident logged. Claims for Industrial Injuries Disablement benefit for example require proof of the accident! All employers with 10 or more workers are legally required to keep an accident book and those with fewer than 10 are recommended to do the same. So make sure your accident is recorded in the accident book…or in some other record if there is no accident book. Some accidents may appear to have led to no or minor injuries but it is important to record them none the less as they may have effects later on. It is much easier to make retrospective claims – resulting from past accidents – if the record exists.