The Employers' Liability Tracing Office (ELTO)

The insurance industry has formed an independent body called the Employers’ Liability Tracing Office (ELTO) to pro-actively help potential claimants find their employers’ liability insurer when they have suffered injury or disease. By collating information on employers’ liability insurance policies in a central database, ELTO will improve the effectiveness of finding the correct employers’ liability insurer in the event of a claim.

How does this affect businesses?

If you have an employers’ liability insurance policy, your insurer will need to request some additional information from you. This information will then be published on to the ELTO website, which can be accessed by the public.

What information do you need to supply?

All employers are given a unique Employer Reference Number (ERN) by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) when they register as an employer. This reference is sometimes also referred to as the Employers PAYE reference. It usually takes the form of a 3 digit  HMRC office number followed by a reference number unique to your business.

It appears on most correspondence you receive from HMRC (including your welcome pack from them) and is also used on any P60s and P45s that are issued to your employees.

You will also be asked for full details of any subsidiary companies or other employers covered by your employer’s liability policy, including registered address and ERN.

Hiscox employers’ liability policy holders

If you don’t have your ERN to hand when you take out your employers’ liability policy with us, it isn’t a problem. We can contact you at a later date to request the information.

More information

• Employers’ Liability Tracing Office (external link)
• Financial Conduct Authority (external link)