Leeds families to get £7,000 more in asbestos compensation after rule change
The change has been called ‘long overdue’
Families affected by asbestos-related diseases in Leeds and Yorkshire are set to receive thousands of pounds more in compensation following a change to Government rules.
Bereaved families will be entitled to the full compensation payment their loved one would have received if they had successfully claimed before their death.
The change, which came into effect on Saturday (October 31), ends a longstanding rule which meant dependants received reduced payments if a worker died before making a claim.
Figures show 300 compensation awards were made to victims in Yorkshire and the Humber in 2025 under the Government's schemes for people suffering from asbestos and dust-related diseases.
Workers who developed conditions including mesothelioma and pneumoconiosis received average payments of around £17,700 last year where compensation could not be secured from an employer.
However, if an eligible worker died before making a claim, their family received an average of around £10,700 – approximately £7,000 less.
Under the changes, a 60-year-old claimant's dependant could now receive £56,656 under the 2008 Diffuse Mesothelioma Scheme, rather than the previous reduced payment of £24,526.
The Government said the additional compensation would help families with day-to-day expenses as they cope with the loss of a loved one.
Social Security and Disability Minister Sir Stephen Timms said: "Losing a loved one to an asbestos-related disease is devastating. Families should not then face a financial penalty because of that loss.
"From today, bereaved families in Yorkshire and the Humber will receive the full compensation their loved ones would have been entitled to, ending a longstanding unfairness in the system.
"This is a long-overdue change that will provide greater support for families at a difficult time."
The reform follows decades of campaigning by groups including the Asbestos Victims Support Group Forum UK and parliamentarians.
New legislation will ensure bereaved families receive the same compensation entitlement as sufferers, at an estimated cost to the Government of between £2m and £6m a year.
Under the separate 1979 scheme, a 60-year-old worker with a qualifying asbestos-related disease and a disablement assessment of between 31 and 40 per cent would receive £34,062.
Previously, an eligible dependant would receive £21,011 if the worker died before making a claim. Under the new rules, they will receive the full £34,062.
Jane Lassey, director of regulation at the Health and Safety Executive, said asbestos-related diseases continued to cause "great suffering", with the effects of past exposure still being felt by workers and their families.
She said the changes meant bereaved families would receive the support their loved ones would have been entitled to.