Eligible dependants of people who died before claiming a payment for an asbestos-related disease can now receive the same amount the person would have been entitled to during their lifetime. According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the change took effect on 31 October 2026. It applies to new claims under two specific schemes and is not retrospective.
Previously, dependants received a lower payment than people who claimed while alive. DWP says the average payment to sufferers in 2025 was around £17,700, compared with around £10,700 for eligible dependants of someone who died before making a claim. The department estimates that equalising the rates will benefit around 300 families a year, at an annual cost of between £2 million and £6 million.
Which payments are covered?
The change covers the scheme established under the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers’ Compensation) Act 1979 and the 2008 Diffuse Mesothelioma Scheme. These provide lump-sum payments to eligible sufferers or their dependants where compensation has not been obtained from an employer — often because the employer is no longer in business.
The difference in payment can be substantial, but it depends on the rules of the particular scheme. In DWP’s example for the 2008 scheme, involving a person aged 60, the payment to an eligible dependant rises from £24,526 to £56,656. Under the 1979 scheme, for a person aged 60 with an assessed disablement level of 31–40%, the 2026/27 rate rises from £21,011 to £34,062. These are examples, not standard amounts payable to every claimant.
Not every family will qualify
Equalising the rates does not mean that every family member automatically qualifies for a payment, nor does it guarantee full compensation for all losses associated with a loved one’s illness and death. The change concerns the amount of the lump-sum payment under the two schemes. Anyone claiming as a dependant must still meet the relevant eligibility requirements.
The claim date also matters: the new rates apply to new dependant claims made from 31 October 2026. The DWP announcement explicitly rules out retrospective application.
Northern Ireland must be considered separately. According to DWP, the Department for Communities, which runs the corresponding scheme there, is due to introduce similar changes at a later stage. The announcement does not give a date for those changes to take effect.
