Accessibility and Inclusion Resources
Making Official Injury Claim work for everyone who needs it
Official Injury Claim has been built to make the new claims process as inclusive and accessible as possible. It is chiefly an online service, however, the customer contact centre (also referred to as the portal support centre) will provide support and guidance for anyone who struggles to use or access it, for instance those who can’t get online for any reason.
The support centre can be reached on 0800 118 1631 Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.
MIB has taken a number of steps to ensure customer needs are catered for, including:
Applying best practice:
The Government Digital Service (GDS) guidelines, created to ensure Government services work better for everyone, have been instrumental in the development of Official Injury Claim. This includes the language used to explain the process and the features included to make it easy-to-use and secure.
Website accreditation:
MIB has followed the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1), a set of internationally recognised recommendations for improving website accessibility, and has employed independent consultants to provide guidance to ensure the service complies with those guidelines. Official Injury Claim is aiming for a Level AA rating from W3C, the organisation behind the accessibility guidelines. The service will undergo continuous assessment so that it remains as accessible as possible.
Removing language barriers:
The website is available in English and Welsh. Translation services are available from the customer contact centre in the 10 most commonly requested foreign languages: Arabic, Bangla, Bulgarian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Spanish and Urdu.
Seeking customer input ahead of launch:
Leading independent research specialists Ipsos MORI conducted two phases of qualitative testing in 2019 and 2020 to gain feedback on usability, robustness and premise. The research sought to reflect a range of views among those who have suffered soft-tissue damage due to a road traffic accident in the previous 12 months. Respondents included those with digital assistance needs and motor, mental, cognitive and intellectual function impairments. The testing identified areas for improvement and further exploration. A third phase of independent testing was undertaken before launch, focusing on those who might struggle to use the service in both the online and offline parts of the process.
Commitment to keep listening to customers:
After launch, a Customer Council made up of representatives from different customer groups and bodies will help provide ongoing feedback.
Making customers aware of the service:
Plans are in place to ensure customer representative bodies and groups are aware of the new service and have the information they need to share with their communities. Particular attention is being paid to customer groups who may find it more challenging to do web searches to find the service or who may not be online
Resources for third party advice-giving organisations
Official Injury Claim is committed to supporting organisations who may need to provide information to the public about Official Injury Claim and the Ministry of Justice’s Whiplash Reforms and their implications. The following resources are available:
Background information
Official Injury Claim information toolkit – contains descriptions and links to all the resources listed below in one place
Welcome to Official Injury Claim – a short animation introducing the service.
Factsheet: About Official Injury Claim – a short document explaining the Official Injury Claim service.
Factsheet: Designed with Inclusion in mind – a short summary of the activities undertaken to make Official Injury Claim easy to use for everyone.
In-depth information
Guide to Making a Claim – an in-depth guide explaining the key legal terms and procedures used in the legal framework that underpins Official Injury Claim (known as the RTA Small Claims Pre-Action Protocol).
Guide to changes to the Small Claims Limit for Injury Claims – explains changes to the small claims track limit and what the exceptions are.
Guide to Practice Direction 27B – contains information you may need should you choose to contest a claim in court outside the service.
Video guides
A number of video demos are available focusing on key parts of the process of making a claim through Official Injury Claim:
