As the Employers’ Liability Database (ELD) continues to play a vital role in supporting effective EL tracing across the industry, ELTO is investing in the long‑term sustainability of the service through the ELD NextGen programme.

Below, you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions about the programme and what it means for you.

What is the ELD?

The Employers Liability Database, often referred to as the ELD, is a central database that holds details of employers’ liability insurance policies. Its purpose is to help people who may have been exposed to injury or illness through their employment, or their representatives, to trace an employer’s liability insurer so that a claim can be made. Insurers are required to submit accurate and up to date policy information to the database, which ensures that cover can be identified even many years after the policy was in force.

What is ELD NextGen?

ELD NextGen is ELTO’s programme to deliver a secure, compliant and resilient new platform for the Employers’ Liability Database. It involves replatforming the current system onto a modern, cloud-based architecture designed to strengthen security, improve data integrity, enhance reliability and support long-term sustainability.

The programme ensures the ELD continues to meet regulatory expectations and industry needs now and in the future.

ELD NextGen frequently asked questions

1. Why is ELTO investing in the ELD NextGen programme?

ELTO has a regulatory responsibility to operate a dependable and secure tracing service. The current platform is ageing and carries increasing operational and technology risk. ELD NextGen reduces that risk by strengthening resilience, improving data quality controls and embedding compliance and security by design. The programme provides a sustainable foundation that supports future regulatory requirements and evolving industry needs.

2. Who is delivering the ELD NextGen platform?

ELTO is delivering ELD NextGen in partnership with Softwire as its technology partner. Softwire is responsible for building the new platform in line with ELTO’s defined business intent, governance requirements and design principles.

3. What will be changing/staying the same?

ELD NextGen involves replacing the current ELD platform with a new cloud-based solution. This includes transitioning to a modern hosted environment and a sustainable managed service model designed to strengthen resilience, security and long-term operational stability.

What will not change is ELTO’s core purpose and regulated role as the UK’s Employers’ Liability Tracing Office. The ELD will continue to provide a dependable tracing service for claimants, members and the wider industry.

What will change is the underlying technology, infrastructure and operational model that supports the service. The new platform is being designed to:

• Strengthen security and compliance by design
• Improve resilience and performance
• Enhance auditability and traceability
• Improve data integrity
• Reduce operational risk

Specific impacts to user journeys, data submission processes or reporting functionality are being confirmed through design and impact assessment. Confirmed changes will be communicated clearly and with appropriate notice.

4. How will members be involved as the programme progresses?

As the design of the new platform develops, we will engage with representative groups of members and users to review concepts and validate usability before final decisions are made. This approach ensures that improvements are practical, proportionate and aligned to member and claimant needs, while maintaining regulatory and operational guardrails.

5. What are the benefits of replatforming the ELD?

Replatforming ensures:

• Stronger security and compliance built in from the outset,
• Improved data integrity and auditability,
• Greater system resilience and availability,
• Reduced operational risk and manual handling,
• A scalable platform that can adapt to future regulatory and industry change,
• The focus is on meaningful service improvement, not simply visual or cosmetic change.

6. What will happen to policies/data already in the existing ELD?

Subject to existing data retention policies, existing data will be managed in line with ELTO’s data governance and retention policies. The programme includes secure migration of relevant policy data to the new platform, alongside improvements to data quality and validation controls. Any changes affecting members will be communicated clearly in advance.

7. What support will members receive during transition?

Where changes require preparation or action, members will receive clear guidance, appropriate notice and supporting materials. Engagement activities may include concept validation sessions, technical briefings, end point testing or targeted communications to support readiness.

8. Will the tracing process remain the same?

The core purpose of the tracing service will not change. The underlying platform supporting tracing activity is being modernised to improve resilience, auditability and performance. Where refinements to workflows are confirmed, these will be communicated clearly and supported through transition guidance.

9. How involved do we need to be during the change process?

The level of member involvement will depend on the nature of confirmed changes. Where preparation or technical adjustment is required, members will receive advance notice, technical documentation and supporting guidance to assist planning. The objective is to ensure changes are proportionate and manageable within normal operational cycles.

10. Will there be new T&Cs?

Relevant agreements and documentation are being reviewed as part of the platform modernisation. Where updates are required, members will be notified with clear information on what is changing and what action (if any) is required.

11. How does ELD NextGen support regulatory compliance?

Regulatory compliance is built into the design of the new platform from the outset. ELD NextGen strengthens data protection, auditability and access control in line with GDPR and FCA expectations. Improved validation, traceability and reporting capabilities will further enhance regulatory confidence and defensibility.

12. When will the new ELD be going live?

The first release of the new platform is currently planned for late 2026/early 2027, subject to delivery and assurance milestones being met. Further detail will be communicated as timelines are confirmed through formal governance processes.

NextGen updates and contacts

To stay informed as the programme progresses, including updates on timelines, user research opportunities and confirmed changes, we encourage you to subscribe to our ‘NextGen News’ newsletter – SUBSCRIBE HERE.

If you have any questions about the ELD NextGen programme, please contact: ELDNextGen@elto.org.uk

For general ELTO enquiries, you can reach the team at: customerenquiries@mib.org.uk