Compensation speeded up for asbestos cancer claims

Published on Friday 21 July 2006 01:34

PEOPLE suffering from lung cancer after being exposed to asbestos will receive compensation more quickly under moves introduced by the government yesterday.

John Hutton, the Work and Pensions Secretary, said the system would be speeded up to ensure people suffering from mesothelioma received their money before they died.

He said interim measures to speed up the claims process would be put into action now..

About 1,800 people are currently diagnosed with mesothelioma each year, and as many as 2,400 people could die from it annually by 2013.

But while the disease has a long latency period, people typically die within 12 to 18 months of having it diagnosed.

Under the new measures insurance claims handlers will be told to give priority to mesothelioma claims.

Mr Hutton said: "I am committed to ensuring sufferers of this awful disease, which progresses so rapidly from the time of diagnosis, will get compensation before they die."