The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that families of workers who died from asbestos-related diseases before claiming compensation will now receive the full award of £56,656. The change follows decades of campaigning from asbestos support groups and will benefit around 300 families per year.
Ending the payout disparity
Previously, workers who developed asbestos-related or dust-related diseases, such as mesothelioma and pneumoconiosis, received average payments of around £17,700 through the Government’s compensation schemes when they had not secured compensation from their employers. If an eligible person died before making a claim, their loved ones received average payments of around £10,700, around £7,000 less than the average payment made to sufferers.
For workers diagnosed with diffuse mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer, a 60-year-old claimant would have received the largest lump sum of £56,656, while an eligible dependant would have received £24,526 if no claim was made before death. After the new change, announced on Saturday, October 31, a dependant will now receive the full £56,656 instead.
Official responses
Minister for Social Security and Disability, Sir Stephen Timms, said: "Losing a loved one to an asbestos-related disease is devastating. Families should not then face a financial penalty because of that loss. Bereaved families will receive the full compensation their loved ones would have been entitled to, ending a longstanding unfairness in the system. This is a long-overdue change that will provide greater support for families at a difficult time."
UK Government Minister for Scotland Melanie Ward said: "For far too long, the families of workers who have suffered from the devastating effects of asbestos and dust-related diseases have been short-changed by outdated compensation rules. The UK Government is putting an end to this injustice - including for victims in Scotland - by scrapping reduced payments for dependants. Across the UK, this long-awaited reform will increase compensation payments for grieving families. I pay tribute to the campaigners who have fought for many years to make this change happen."
Campaign victory and next steps
The change is a victory for campaign groups, including the Asbestos Victims Support Group Forum UK and parliamentarians, who have campaigned for decades on the payout disparity between bereaved families and sufferers.
Jane Lassey, director of regulation at the Health and Safety Executive, said: "Asbestos-related diseases continue to cause great suffering, and the effects of past exposure are still being felt by workers and their families. This change means bereaved families will receive the support their loved ones would have been entitled to. HSE’s priority remains preventing future harm. We will keep working with employers, workers and partners to make sure the risks from asbestos are understood and managed, so that fewer families have to go through this loss."
The corresponding scheme in Northern Ireland, run by the Department for Communities, is expected to introduce similar changes in due course. The new law applies to claims from new dependants made from October 31, 2026; it is not eligible for retrospective claims.
