Ministers have announced that victims of mesothelioma can receive an average of £123,000 compensation from a new £380m fund.
Mesothelioma, which can take decades to develop, is an aggressive cancer caused by the exposure of asbestos. Previously those diagnosed after July 2012 and who cannot sue former employers as they have gone bust or insurance details have disappeared, can now apply for compensation from the £380m pot from April.
Two thousand people a year are diagnosed each year and the numbers are set to increase significantly over the next thirty years as workers who were exposed in the 1980s develop the devastating cancer.
The new £380m fund will entitle sufferers in the UK to eighty percent of the average settlement paid out in a civil claim relating to mesothelioma. This means that compensation payments will range from £115,000 to £123,000.
Speaking to the BBC, 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 hope of any compensation from the insurance industry.
“We have made it an absolute priority to bring in the scheme as soon as legislation will allow, so I am pleased to announce that victims will be able to apply for payments from next month.”
If you or a loved one suffer from mesothelioma or other asbestos related illnesses, contact our Mesothelioma Helpline and we will be able to give you free legal advice on how you can claim for compensation.