This week, Britain’s Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, John Hutton, announced to the general population that the British government plans to introduce early benefit payments for sufferers of mesothelioma. The announcement was made at a special “mesothelioma summit†hosted by the Department for Work and Pensions.
“With deaths from mesothelioma expected to peak in the next five to ten years, the plan to introduce this financial support to those who most need it is a major step forward,†Martin Bare, vice-president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), told the press. “We hope the necessary legislative slot can now be found as quickly as possible, so the intention can become a reality without delay.â€Â
Bare hopes the government can “maintain the momentum for reform†as more and more people in Great Britain are diagnosed with the disease.
“A lot of work has been done in the past year by lawyers, insurers, trade unions, government departments and victim support groups to try to bring mesothelioma sufferers some comfort in the last weeks and months of their lives,†he added. “But there is still work to do to ensure people receive the full compensation they need as quickly as possible, and it is hoped that the government can continue to work in a coordinated way to drive this agenda to its conclusion.â€Â
“Among other thingsâ€Â, Bare explained, “we need an early legislative slot to enable the government to implement plans to stop companies which have gone out of business having to be ‘resurrected’ before a compensation claim can be made, which means considerable costs and delays to claims.â€Â
