Campaign for greater asbestos payments
Campaign for greater asbestos payments
The TUC is backing a campaign to bring the law in England and Wales in line with Scotland where the family of a worker killed by asbestos receives compensation. In England and Wales the level of compensation is set at £10,000 by law and is only payable to the spouse but in Scotland payments up to £30,000 have been made to bereaved widows. In addition other family members in Scotland can also receive compensation of between £10,000 and £15,000. The campaign - supported by union law firm, Thompsons, wants to see a change in the way payments are assessed so families across the UK receive compensation in line with the amount currently paid to families in Scotland. Recently the Scottish Parliament changed the law to make it easier for families to claim for compensation for mesothelioma. The issue was also the subject of an Early Day Motion by MP Dave Anderson, a former president of Unison. Which stated 'That this House notes with concern the unacceptable difference between bereavement payments paid to families of those who have died of asbestos related diseases in Scotland compared with England and Wales; recognises that the difference is because of the fact that in Scotland individual cases are decided in court, whilst in England and Wales they are capped under the terms of the Fatal Accident Act 1976; realises that the compensation paid can be as much as seven times greater in Scotland; understands that the compensation in England and Wales is limited to surviving spouses, whilst in Scotland it is paid quite rightly, to wider family members; and urges the Government to act swiftly to ensure that those suffering from this deadly disease have the same rights in England and Wales as they do in Scotland, including the right to settle their claim for full compensation during their own lifetime.'
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