Mesothelioma Scheme Launched

Mesothelioma Scheme Launched

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Published on Friday, 09 May 2014 13:58

Mesothelioma sufferers unable to trace a liable employer or employers' liability insurer will now be able to apply for compensation of £123,000, the Government has announced.

Around 3,500 victims of the asbestos-induced cancer of their families have been able to apply for compensation from April this year and payments of around £123,000 will be received from July as part of a £380 million package.

The Government says that it has increased the payment from £115,000 after making savings in the administration costs of the scheme, introduced as part of the Mesothelioma Act 2014, which was passed in January.

The Act allowed for the creation of a support package, funded by insurance firms, to pay in excess of 800 eligible people in 2014 and 300 every year after that, until 2024. Mesothelioma sufferers, or their dependants (where the sufferer has died), will also get an additional £7,000 towards legal expenses.

The scheme applies to people diagnosed with mesothelioma after 25 July 2012. Work and Pensions Minister Mike Penning said: "This will end years of injustice for mesothelioma victims and their families - who have had to endure this terrible disease with little of any compensation from the insurance industry."

Source: Safety Express (RoSPA) May/June 2014