Government Increasing Compensation for Asbestos Victims to £123,000

Mesothelioma is often said to be a worker's disease. And in most cases the workers are negligently exposed to asbestos. The symptoms take decades to develop and by that time the exposed worker may not be able to trace a liable employer or the insurance records may be missing. So what to do in this situations? The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) currently operate the Workers’ Compensation Act 1979 scheme which provides payment to workers whose employer or insurer can't be traced. (An average of £18,000 is paid for mesothelioma claims.)
Starting July this year, DWP is giving this scheme a hefty lift and offering around £123,000-and an additional £7,000 towards legal expenses. The government will pay some way more than 800 eligible people, in 2014, and 300 every other following years until 2024. Direct applications are accepted.

The eligibility criteria include:

• develop mesothelioma as a result of negligence which can't be traced to a liable employer or insurer 
• diagnosis of mesothelioma from 25 July 2012

If this story interests you, you can follow the developments at DWP's twitter and facebook pages.

Application starts in April.