What Are the Ogden Tables?
The Ogden Tables are actuarial tables used in UK personal injury litigation to calculate multipliers for capitalising future loss of earnings and other periodical losses into lump sums. The 8th Edition (2020) is the current edition and must be used in all new claims. They are published by the Government Actuary's Department and endorsed by the Lord Chancellor.
Multiplier and Multiplicand
The multiplicand is the annual net loss of earnings (pre-accident earnings minus post-injury residual earnings). The multiplier, derived from the Ogden Tables, represents the number of years' loss to be awarded as a capital sum. Future loss equals multiplicand multiplied by adjusted multiplier. The discount rate of -0.25% (Civil Liability Act 2018) is applied to adjust the table multiplier upward, reflecting low real investment returns.
Ogden 8th Edition Changes
The 8th Edition introduced reduction factors (RF) for contingencies other than mortality, applied differently for disabled and non-disabled claimants. The disability definition follows the Equality Act 2010. Experts must justify whether the disabled or non-disabled table applies, as the disability reduction factor significantly reduces the multiplier and therefore the future loss award.
Tables Structure
Tables 1 to 8 cover working life multipliers by age and sex. Tables 9 to 26 cover various life scenarios. Table H addresses pension loss. Employment experts select the appropriate table based on the claimant's age, sex, employment status (employed, unemployed, not in labour force), and disability status, then apply the discount rate adjustment.
The Employment Expert's Role
The employment expert establishes the multiplicand through residual earning capacity and labour market analysis. The forensic accountant applies the Ogden multiplier and discount rate. In practice, a combined report from both experts or a forensic accountant with vocational input is standard in complex claims. Early agreement on disability table selection avoids costly disputes at trial.