Families who lose a relative to asbestos-related disease before a compensation claim is made will no longer receive a reduced payment, according to the UK government. The change, which takes effect for new dependant claims made from 31 October 2026, means bereaved relatives get the same lump sum the worker themselves would have received.
Key points
- Full rate for dependants — families will receive the amount the deceased worker was entitled to, not a smaller dependant sum.
- Around 300 families a year — the government estimates this many will benefit from the change.
- No back payments — the new law applies only to new dependant claims from 31 October 2026.
- Cost to the taxpayer — estimated at between £2 million and £6 million per year.
Under the old rules, a 60-year-old dependant claiming under the 2008 Diffuse Mesothelioma Scheme would receive £24,526 if their relative died before making a claim. That figure now rises to £56,656. The same principle applies to the 1979 Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers' Compensation) Act scheme: a dependant who would have received £21,011 will now get £34,062, matching the sum payable to a 60-year-old sufferer with a disablement assessment of 31-40%.
Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said bereaved families should not face a financial penalty because of their loss, adding that the reform ends a longstanding unfairness. UK Government Minister for Scotland Melanie Ward also welcomed the move, paying tribute to campaigners, and Jane Lassey, Director of Regulation at the Health and Safety Executive, said the change means families receive the support their loved one would have been entitled to.
The reform follows an independent legal review of the compensation schemes and years of pressure from groups including the Asbestos Victims Support Group Forum UK and parliamentarians. The corresponding scheme in Northern Ireland, run by the Department for Communities, is expected to bring in similar changes in due course.
What it means in practice
If you are dealing with the estate of someone who died from an asbestos-related disease before they could claim, the money on offer changes, but only for claims made from the end of October 2026. Anything already settled stays as it is.
- Check the date — only new dependant claims made from 31 October 2026 qualify, so it is worth taking advice before submitting paperwork early.
- Gather employment evidence — the schemes apply where no claim against an employer was possible, often because the firm no longer exists, so records of where the person worked will still matter.
- Watch for Northern Ireland — the devolved scheme is expected to follow, but it has not changed yet.
