‘Travel like you know them’: Road safety made personal
Earlier this summer, the UK government relaunched its THINK! road safety campaign, reminding people to ‘Travel like you know them’ to highlight the human cost of road traffic accidents. The...
The Government has announced that those who served in the Armed Forces will become eligible for a lump sum payment if they contract mesothelioma as a result of this employment.
Until now, Armed Forces personnel have been unable to claim compensation if their exposure to asbestos occurred before 1987. Instead they have only been eligible for a War Pension, whereas their civilian colleagues who may have worked alongside them on asbestos –ridden ships have been able to claim full compensation from the MOD.
This unfair situation is now finally being addressed for those Forces personnel who are diagnosed with mesothelioma on or after 16th December 2015. Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer of the lining of the lungs which is caused by previous asbestos exposure. The lump sum, which will be offered as an alternative to a war Pension, will pay £140,000 and is expected to come into force on 11 April 2016.
Andrew Stinchcombe at Novum Law comments
“This proposal is very welcome but long overdue. I and others have campaigned for years that the Armed Forces veterans have been placed in a very unfair position. The introduction of a lump sum pay-out helps to narrow the discrepancy but I would urge the government to go further still, allowing equal compensation compared to civilians and also removing a cut off date for Claimants”
