Mesothelioma victims in the United States have several options for pursuing compensation from those responsible for exposing them to asbestos, including civil lawsuits, asbestos bankruptcy trusts, and workers’ compensation. Things are handled differently in the United Kingdom: While some are able to pursue civil litigation, those whose former employers are no longer in business, and whose insurance companies have disappeared, can apply for compensation under the government’s Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme (DMPS). After years of lobbying from advocates, new legislation presented by the Department for Work and Pensions has raised their awards by 49 percent for those diagnosed after November 4, 2025, along with an increase in legal cost coverage from £7,000 to £13,700, or $8,890 to $17,400 in American dollars.
UK Mesothelioma Compensation Had Fallen Behind Inflation
Mesothelioma compensation levels under the original DMPS initially paid just 80 percent of average court awards. This amount increased to 100 percent in 2015, but the calculation of the average remained the same despite rising court awards and inflation. A 2022 review showed that payments had become insufficient, with no recovery of medical treatment costs, deductions for all state benefit payments, limitations on what dependents were eligible for claims after death, and inadequate legal cost allowances, with no support for appeals.
To address these shortcomings, the DMPS Oversight Committee added several specialists in mesothelioma costs and litigation to represent victims’ interests. Those advocates have said that the improvements that were made are a positive step, but remain insufficient, as it takes a “one-size-fits-all” approach that provides fixed sums based solely on age, and these are considerably less than court awards in many cases. They also still fail to account for private medical treatment costs, and the changes are not retrospective. This means that a person diagnosed with mesothelioma after November 4, 2025, will receive nearly 50 percent more than someone diagnosed a week earlier.
Mesothelioma Advocates Urge Automatic Inflationary Adjustments
Despite the increases in mesothelioma compensation that the recent changes made, those representing the victims say that the DMPS will only truly compensate asbestos victims when damages are properly assessed as they would be in court. They say that the November 2025 cut-off date is fundamentally unfair and that there is a need for legislators to establish automatic future payment increases for inflation. They vow to continue pursuing justice for victims.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net are here to help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608 to learn more.
