NASAG

Providing free advice and support

 

The North East Asbestos Support and Awareness Group is a not-for-profit organisation that provides a comprehensive advice service for asbestos sufferers and their families. NASAG is supported by volunteers and our services are offered completely free of charge.

Since 2002 NSAG has grown rapidly in both stature and experience. All of our volunteers have personal experience in dealing with asbestos related diseases including mesothelioma.

 

Press Release

The New Mesothelioma Scheme
Some Asbestos Victims will Lose Compensation to Fund it.

 

The new and welcomed scheme to pay a lump to all mesothelioma sufferers, irrespective of occupational exposure, came into effect on 1 October 2008.
 

However we are shocked to discover that some asbestosis and mesothelioma sufferers will lose compensation in order to fund the scheme.

Asbestosis victims who cannot trace all the employers who exposed them to asbestos are only paid a proportion of damages in law. Consequently the courts did not allow them to lose out the whole of their government lump sum payment. From 1 October this will change and the government will recover the full lump sum from partial damages in law.
 

Turner & Newall victims who only receive a small percentage of their compensation from T&N Funds were allowed to keep government lump sum payments. From 1 October, this will change and the government will recover the full lump sum.

This is not an unintended consequence of the new Act. It is deliberate policy and we are calling on the government to amend the legislation so that asbestos victims do not end up funding the new scheme. Some could lose a third of their compensation.

 

Bob Stephenson, NASAG said this was never made clear when the new scheme was announced. A scheme we welcomed and praised the government for. We want the government to immediately take steps to stop funding the new scheme by reducing further the small amounts of compensation received by some asbestos victims.