People diagnosed with diffuse mesothelioma may be entitled to hundreds of thousands of pounds in a once-off payment. This is an aggressive type of cancer that is usually caused by asbestos exposure.
The Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment by the Department for Work and Pensions as well as the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme, otherwise known as DMPS, which was created in 2014 to help people get their due compensation. It’s specifically for people who haven’t yet or are unable to get compensation.
The main requirement to get these hefty once-off payments is that the exposure must have happened in the United Kingdom and that you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma. Exposure includes in the workplace or general living environment, for example living near a factory using asbestos.
Exposure via a relative, such as washing their contaminated clothes, is also included as well as situations where you cannot specify where the exposure happened exactly but it was within the UK. One of the only other requirements is a diffused mesothelioma diagnosis and you must apply within 12 months of the official diagnosis.
The age you were diagnosed at and the year is also a vital piece of information that will help narrow down how much compensation you’re owed. For those diagnosed before 2012, they will be able to claim from the DWP titles The 2008 Scheme.
This old scheme provides a once-off payment granted that you aren’t entitled to a payment under the 1979 Pneumoconiosis Act or compensation from a Ministry of Defence scheme and have not been given a payment for the disease from an employer, a civil claim or elsewhere. The younger you were at diagnosis increases the amount you can receive in compensation.
In the 2008 Scheme, the youngest age group is 37 and under which can qualify for £114,210 while the oldest age group, those over 77-years-old, could receive £17,745. Dependents of people who have died and had diffuse mesothelioma could also be eligible, albeit for far small sums ranging from £9,840 to a maximum of £59,436 depending how old the person was when they died.
You must claim the compensation within 12 months of their death and you can contact the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) helpline to find out if you’re eligible. However, for those who were diagnosed after July 25, 2012 or have been unable to track down the employer for the workplace that exposed them to asbestos, they’ll need to go through the DMPS.
You could claim from DMPS even if you’ve already claimed from the 2008 Scheme or the 1979 Pneumoconiosis Act, but this may be deducted from the amount you’re due. DMPS claims must be made within three years of diagnosis and also differ depending on the age you were when you were diagnosed.
People diagnosed between 2012 and 2015 could be entitled to £216,896 in the lowest age group of 40 and under up to £69,649 in the 90 and over age group. People diagnosed after 2015 face a similar range of £271,120 for 40 and under to £87,061 for 90 and over. More information about both schemes can be found on the gov.uk website including how to claim and challenge decisions about your claim.