Diffuse mesothelioma payments

Printable version

1. Overview

You may be able to get a payment if you鈥檝e been diagnosed with the asbestos-related disease, diffuse mesothelioma.

There are 2 types of payment you can claim for:

  • diffuse mesothelioma payments (the 鈥�2008 scheme鈥�)
  • the Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS)

You can claim DMPS if you cannot find the employer responsible for your contact with asbestos, or their insurer.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

2. What you'll get

The 2008 scheme

You鈥檒l get one payment.

The amount you鈥檒l get depends on how old you were when your disease was diagnosed. For example, if you were 60 when your disease was diagnosed, and you qualify, you鈥檒l get a payment of 拢54,582.

Aged 40 and under

Age when diagnosed Payment
37 and under 拢116,152
38 拢113,893
39 拢111,640
40 拢109,386

Aged 41 to 50

Age when diagnosed Payment
41 拢107,128
42 拢104,873
43 拢103,749
44 拢102,614
45 拢101,490
46 拢100,362
47 拢99,234
48 拢96,082
49 拢92,926
50 拢89,762

Aged 51 to 60

Age when diagnosed Payment
51 拢86,610
52 拢83,443
53 拢81,190
54 拢78,939
55 拢76,688
56 拢74,421
57 拢72,166
58 拢66,305
59 拢60,438
60 拢54,582

Aged 61 to 70

Age when diagnosed Payment
61 拢48,716
62 拢42,853
63 拢39,244
64 拢35,631
65 拢32,028
66 拢28,418
67 拢24,810
68 拢24,074
69 拢23,337
70 拢22,612

Aged 71 and over

Age when diagnosed Payment
71 拢21,879
72 拢21,149
73 拢20,524
74 拢19,888
75 拢19,279
76 拢18,668
77 and over 拢18,047

Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS)

Your payment will depend on the details of your claim. Read about payment amounts on the .

3. Eligibility

The 2008 scheme

You can claim a one-off payment if you:

  • are not entitled to a payment under the 1979 Pneumoconiosis Act
  • have not been given a payment for the disease from an employer, a civil claim or elsewhere
  • are not entitled to compensation from a Ministry of Defence scheme

You must have been exposed to asbestos in the United Kingdom.

Examples of exposure include:

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

You must claim within 12 months of diagnosis.

Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS)

You may be able to claim if all of the following apply:

  • you were diagnosed with diffuse mesothelioma on or after 25 July 2012
  • your mesothelioma was caused by exposure to asbestos when working in the UK
  • you cannot trace the employer that exposed you to asbestos, or their insurers
  • you have not made a civil claim against any employer or insurer
  • you have not received damages or a specified payment for mesothelioma and you鈥檙e not eligible to a specified payment

You may also be able to claim if you were the dependant of a sufferer who has died.

You can claim for DMPS even if you have already claimed from the 2008 scheme or under the 1979 Pneumoconiosis Act. If you鈥檝e already got a payment from the 2008 scheme or the Pneumoconiosis Act, it will be deducted from the amount you get from DMPS.

You may still be able to claim from the 2008 scheme even if you are unsuccessful in your DMPS claim.

Claims through the DMPS scheme must be made within 3 years of diagnosis.

4. Payments for dependants

The 2008 scheme

You may be able to claim if you were the dependant of a sufferer who has died. You must claim within 12 months of their death.

Contact the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) helpline to find out if you鈥檙e eligible.

IIDB Helpline
Telephone: 0800 279 2322
Textphone: 0800 169 0314
(if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 121 8379
British Sign Language (BSL) if you鈥檙e on a computer - find out how to
Find out about call charges

If you qualify, you鈥檒l get one payment. The amount will depend on how old the person with mesothelioma was when they died. For example, if they were 60 when they died, and you qualify, you鈥檒l get a payment of 拢23,628.

Aged 40 and under

Age when the person died Payment
37 and under 拢60,446
38 拢59,148
39 拢57,851
40 拢56,554

Aged 41 to 50

Age when the person died Payment
41 拢55,258
42 拢53,962
43 拢52,720
44 拢51,468
45 拢50,236
46 拢48,996
47 拢47,758
48 拢46,237
49 拢44,710
50 拢43,190

Aged 51 to 60

Age when the person died Payment
51 拢41,673
52 拢40,150
53 拢38,903
54 拢37,668
55 拢36,427
56 拢35,178
57 拢33,941
58 拢30,509
59 拢27,063
60 拢23,628

Aged 61 and over

Age when the person died Payment
61 拢20,187
62 拢16,743
63 拢15,760
64 拢14,785
65 拢13,784
66 拢12,800
67 and over 拢10,007

Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS)

Your payment will depend on the details of your claim. Read about payment amounts on the .

5. How to claim

The 2008 scheme

Fill in a mesothelioma payment claim form and provide medical evidence.

Contact the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) helpline if you cannot print out a form and you need one sent to you.

IIDB Helpline
Telephone: 0800 279 2322
Textphone: 0800 169 0314
(if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 121 8379
British Sign Language (BSL) if you鈥檙e on a computer - find out how to
Find out about call charges

Barnsley IIDB Centre
Mail Handling Site A
Wolverhampton
WV98 1SY

Alternative formats

Contact the IIDB helpline to ask for alternative formats, such as braille, large print or audio CD.

You must claim within 12 months of diagnosis. If you鈥檙e a dependant claiming for a sufferer who is now deceased, you must claim within 12 months from the date of their death.

Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS)

You can apply online at the .

You鈥檒l need:

  • your National Insurance number
  • your full employment history, with evidence - for example, P60s
  • evidence of unsuccessful attempts to trace your employer or insurers
  • the date of your diagnosis
  • evidence of diagnosis
  • details of any previous claims
  • a witness statement

Contact TopMark for more information on the DMPS and how to apply.

TopMark
[email protected]
Telephone: 0330 058 3930
Find out about call charges

TopMark Claims Management
160 Bath Street
Glasgow

If you disagree with a decision

You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for a mandatory review.

If you鈥檙e unhappy with the outcome of the mandatory review, you can appeal to to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal. The tribunal is impartial and independent of government.

Appeal to the tribunal within one month of getting the mandatory review decision. If you submit your appeal after a month you鈥檒l have to explain why you did not do it earlier.

Download and fill in form SSCS6a and send it to the address on the form.

You鈥檒l need to choose whether you want to go to the tribunal hearing to explain your case. If you do not attend, your appeal will be decided on your appeal form and any supporting evidence.

After you submit your appeal, you can provide evidence. Your appeal and the evidence will be discussed at a hearing by a judge and one or two experts. The judge will then make a decision.

It usually takes around 6 months for your appeal to be heard by the tribunal.