The Asbestos Victims Support Groups’ Forum has today accused the government of robbing people disabled by asbestos related diseases. They say, “Despite requests to the Department of Work and Pensions for action, victims of asbestosis and pleural thickening are being robbed of their full compensation under the Workers’ Compensation Act 1979 . We ask for justice now.”
Is this a hidden tax on benefits for diabled people?
Alternatively this could be seen as another hidden tax on disabled people, like the Bedroom Tax scandal. Is the government taking advantage of the long delays caused by the pandemic to reduce the compensation given to people who have been made seriously ill by asbestos related diseases?
Conspiracy or cock-up?
A third possibility is that no one has given much thought to the people who are losing out. Could this just be an oversight which needs to be put right? In the meantime people are being denied the full compensation they deserve.
How it works
The level of compensation is based on a person’s age when it was awarded. In some cases the decision has been delayed for a year, meaning that people have got less compensation than they would normally receive.
Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash