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Eligibility

If you are unable to make a claim under the 1979 Pneumoconiosis Act, have not received payment in respect of the disease from an employer, a civil claim or elsewhere and are not entitled to compensation from a Ministry of Defence scheme, you can claim a one-off lump sum payment.

The scheme covers people whose exposure to asbestos occurred in the United Kingdom and was not as a result of their work as an employee, for example:

• they came into contact with asbestos from a relative - for example by washing their clothes
• they were exposed to asbestos in the environment - for example, they lived near a factory using asbestos
• their exposure to asbestos was while self-employed
• their exposure cannot be specified but it occurred in the United Kingdom

Rates

The lump sum payment depends on the age you were when the disease was diagnosed. If the date of the diagnosis is not known, it will be based on your age at the date of making a claim.

The rates are as follows:

There are separate rates for dependants where the sufferer has died.

Making a claim

You should make a claim as soon as possible after 1 October 2008.

There are no time limits for claims made during the first year of the scheme. After that time, claims must be received within 12 months of the date of diagnosis.

The aim is to pay 95% of claims within six weeks of receiving the claim form.

You will be asked to submit medical evidence with your claim showing that you suffer from diffuse mesothelioma caused by exposure to asbestos. No further medical examination will be required.

If the sufferer has died, their dependants may be able to claim. The claim form must be received within 12 months of the date of death.

Who to contact

For further information or to request a claim form, phone or write to:

Barrow Industrial Injuries Benefit Delivery Centre

PWC Team
Jobcentreplus
Barrow IIDB Centre
Pittman Way
Preston
PR11 2AB

Telephone: 0800 279 2322