Bereaved families gain equal compensation rates under UK asbestos schemes
New dependant claims from October 31 can receive the same award the affected worker would have received under two government dust-disease compensation schemes.
What the record says
The UK Department for Work and Pensions announced October 31 that eligible bereaved dependants making new claims under two dust-disease compensation schemes can receive the full award the affected person would have been entitled to.
The change concerns the 1979 workers’ compensation scheme and the 2008 diffuse mesothelioma scheme. They provide lump-sum payments in qualifying circumstances where damages have not been secured from an employer.
Previously, dependants could receive a smaller payment when an eligible person died before making a claim. DWP estimates that around 300 families a year will benefit from the change.
The new rules apply to new dependant claims made from October 31, 2026, and do not allow retrospective claims. DWP says corresponding changes to Northern Ireland’s separate scheme are expected later.
Source details and supporting locations.
Practical next step
Affected families can check the relevant government scheme and current eligibility requirements before making a new dependant claim.
Limits and what is not established
Eligibility remains subject to each scheme’s rules. The announcement does not reopen past claims or mean Northern Ireland’s separate scheme has already changed.
Sources checked October 31, 2026. Later notices may change instructions or arrangements.
Original sources
UK Department for Work and Pensions: original information