For individuals
If you are a member of the public and have suffered an illness or injury at a current or former place of work, you may need to find out who provided employers’ liability insurance for your employer at the time. ELTO helps you search for that information through the Employers’ Liability Database (ELD).
This page provides information about how we can help you to find your insurer and guidance on how to search the ELD.
Helping you find the right insurer
When an illness or injury is linked to work, it can sometimes be difficult to identify who insured an employer, particularly if:
The employment took place many years ago
The employer no longer exists
The business has changed name or ownership
Insurance records are no longer available
ELTO helps by providing access to the Employers' Liability Database (ELD), a central resource containing millions of policy records supplied by insurers across the UK market.
Starting a new search
Before you begin to search the ELD, you will need:
Employer name
Employment dates (approximate if unsure)
Workplace location (if known)
FAQs for individuals
What information do I need to start a search?
You will need
Employer name
Employment dates (approximate if unsure)
Workplace location (if known)
What if the policy I am looking for is not listed when I search?
If the policy you are looking for is not found when you search, you can also request an extended search and we will contact insurers on your behalf.
I have requested an extended search, how long will it take to hear back?
Insurers may need to manually search a large volume of data to find the policy you are looking for. Please allow up to five weeks for a response.
Can ELTO help me get compensation for my injury?
ELTO is not a compensatory body. The results of an Employers’ Liability search provides claimants with information to help them trace an insurer.
Can ELTO help me find a public liability insurance policy?
No, we only hold information about employers’ liability insurance.
Do I have to pay to search the ELD?
No, searching the ELD is completely free of charge.
Has an insurer refused your mesothelioma claim?
If an insurer has refused to cover your mesothelioma claim, you can ask an independent panel of ELTO members to look at the evidence and decide.
Find out more about ELTO's Dispute Resolution Panel today and how the service can help you.
The Employers' Liability Tracing Office (ELTO) is an independent, not-for-profit organisation established by the insurance industry to help people trace employers' liability insurance information.
We manage the Employers' Liability Database (ELD), a central database containing employers' liability policy information submitted by insurers across the UK market. Our purpose is simple: to help people who have suffered a work-related illness or injury, and those representing them, identify the relevant insurer as quickly and easily as possible.
Take a moment to watch Becky's story and how the service we provided had a life changing effect for her father and wider family.
Why use ELTO?
Free to use
Access to ELTO's tracing service is free for individuals searching for employers' liability insurance information.
FCA-regulated service
ELTO operates within a regulated framework and remains the UK's only regulated employers' liability tracing office.
Search quickly
It usually takes only a few minutes to search the ELD for the information you need.