And this decline led to a £74,715 reduction in the amount paid out by the Department, with claims last year totalling £451,738.
The figures were released by the Health and Safety Inspectorate in its annual report for 2013.
Colin Myers, director of the Health and Safety at Work Inspectorate, said it was pleasing that the number of claims for Social Security benefit as a result of work related illnesses had fallen last year.
