(13/05/2010)

Payments for Mesothelioma Sufferers Set to Increase

The amount of compensation awarded to sufferers of asbestos-related lung cancer has been increased under the 2008 Mesothelioma Scheme.

The minimum payment for those who have been diagnosed with the disease has now been increased to £11,678, while the maximum payment will rise to £75,176.

The Mesothelioma Scheme has also been extended to ensure that the families of those who die as a result of mesothelioma will now be increased by up to £5000; the compensation claims paid out to families had previously been much lower than the amount awarded to the sufferers themselves.

The new compensation rates will apply to sufferers diagnosed with mesothelioma after 1^st April 2010.

Mesothelioma is a deadly form of lung cancer linked to asbestos exposure, mainly through industrial work. Though the disease can take between 30 to 50 years to emerge, mesothelioma sufferers usually die within 24 months of their diagnosis.

The Mesothelioma Scheme was introduced as a means of providing compensation claims for those who had previously not been entitled to it under other schemes. The Department of Work and Pensions estimates that around 630 were awarded pay-outs for asbestos-related diseases in the first 12 months.

Seeking compensation for mesothelioma sufferers has been a notoriously difficult process as, by the time the disease has been diagnosed, their former employers may have lost their old insurance records, or have ceased trading altogether.

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