Injuries we don’t cover

There are some limits to the support we can provide. These limits are set by Parliament, which makes laws about what we can and can’t support. For example, we can’t cover things like illness, conditions related to ageing, and emotional issues.

Your injury must be because of an accident

Sometimes injuries aren't caused by an accident. We don't cover:

  • illness, sickness, or contagious diseases, eg measles
  • stress, hurt feelings or other emotional issues. This is unless they're linked to an injury we already cover
  • conditions related to ageing, eg arthritis
  • most hernias
  • injuries that happen over time, unless an activity at work is causing it
  • damage to items that don't replace body parts. This includes hearing aids, glasses, pacemakers and gastric bands.

These are some of the common injuries and conditions that in most cases we don't cover:

  • if you have appendicitis and need an emergency trip to the hospital
  • you get skin burn from the sun, wind or snow
  • you have unexplained back pain that gets worse over time.

If you're not sure if you're covered

As every injury and situation is different, it may not always be clear if we cover your injury. Your doctor, physio, dentist or other health provider will tell you if we're likely to cover your injury. They can then make a claim for you.

We'll need a diagnosis from a health provider before we can confirm if we cover your injury.

Last published: 14 March 2024