Loved ones of asbestos and dust-disease victims to receive fairer…

Workers who develop asbestos-related and dust-related diseases like mesothelioma and pneumoconiosis caused by their work can claim a one-off payment from the Government if they haven’t already secured compensation from their employer.

This is often the only option available to sufferers, since it can take years for these diseases to develop, meaning the employer responsible has usually gone out of business by the time someone is diagnosed.

However, under the current system the payment is passed to their grieving family at a reduced rate if it is paid after the sufferer dies. On average, sufferers receive £17,700, while dependants receive £10,700 – a shortfall of £7,000.

Today, the Government is laying legislation to end this injustice, so dependants will receive the same rate as sufferers, in full. It means families are no longer penalised twice, first by their loss, then by an unfair system.

Sir Stephen Timms, Minister for Social Security and Disability, said:

Families who have lost a loved one to a disease caused by their work deserve our support, not a system that treats them as an afterthought.

That’s exactly what’s been happening, and campaigners have been telling us for over a decade that it’s wrong.

Today we’re fixing it. Fairer, simpler, clearer support for families, at an incredibly difficult time in their lives.

Jane Lassey, Director of Regulation at the Health and Safety Executive said:

The devastating impact of asbestos-related disease and the terrible legacy of past exposure underscores why it is vital that we continue to protect people from the dangers it can pose. That is why we continue to deliver guidance, awareness-raising campaigns, and enforcement activity to protect people from harm.

In 2025, 2,730 sufferers received an award and a further 300 awards were paid to dependants at the lower rate. The new system will change that.

It’s an issue that campaigners, including the Asbestos Victims Support Group Forum UK and parliamentarians such as Baroness Blower, have raised for over a decade, highlighting the unfairness to families and loved ones.

The changes will also simplify how awards are calculated, removing outdated top-up payments and introducing a single, clear award structure for everyone. This ends confusion caused by rules that referred to Pneumoconiosis Medical Boards, which stopped operating years ago.

The changes laid in parliament today will come into force on 31 October 2026 subject to Parliamentary approval. The regulations are expected to benefit dependants by increasing payments by between £2 million and £6 million to all dependents annually, finally giving family members and loved ones the compensation they deserve.

Additional Information:

• The Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers’ Compensation) Act 1979 scheme and the 2008 Diffuse Mesothelioma Scheme provide lump-sum compensation to people who have contracted a dust-related disease through their work, or to their dependants, where they have been unable to claim damages from an employer, often because the employer no longer exists.
• The changes follow an independent legal review of the schemes, which recommended a range of updates to reduce legal and reputational risk, including the changes to dependant payments and the introduction of a clear “relevant date” for award calculations.
• The devolved schemes in Northern Ireland, administered by the Department for Communities, are expected to introduce corresponding legislation.
• The draft Regulations now go before both Houses of Parliament for debate.

source: GOV