UK: Reduced Asbestos Compensation for Bereaved Families Ends, Full Awards From October 31
The UK government has ended a rule that reduced payments to dependants when eligible workers died before submitting a compensation claim under state schemes for asbestos-related and dust-related diseases, with bereaved families now receiving the full award from October 31. The change is expected to benefit around 300 families a year after decades of campaigning.
Average payments in government schemes will rise from £10,700 to £17,700. Under the new rules, a dependant of a 60-year-old claimant can now receive £56,656 instead of £24,526, correcting a longstanding payment inequity.
The legislation was laid in September, and the annual cost of equalising payments is estimated at between £2 million and £6 million. Social Security and Disability Minister Sir Stephen Timms said families should not face a financial penalty after losing a loved one to an asbestos-related disease and described the reform as a long-overdue correction. UK Government Minister for Scotland Melanie Ward said the change ends outdated compensation rules that have left families short-changed, including in Scotland.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 照片：石棉拆除作业（资料图），Kurt Nordstrom 摄，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY 2.0 授权 / Photo: asbestos abatement work, by Kurt Nordstrom, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
