Asbestos victims awarded Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit should not have their existing benefits cut. Asbestos victims can often claim a one-off payment under the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers Compensation) Act 1979 or the 2008 Diffuse Mesothelioma Scheme. However, if they do not claim before they die, their surviving partners or children will get a much smaller payment. We believe this is wrong.

Those who are awarded Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit for mesothelioma or asbestos-related lung cancer should be automatically awarded Constant Attendance Allowance at the intermediate rate.

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The campaign to save Phoenix House benefit office in Barrow was won, at least until 2023! The Government announced in 2017 that it has withdrawn plans to close down this specialist office and guaranteed it will stay open until at least 2023.

Congratulations to the workers at Phoenix House and their union, PCS, for waging such a good campaign. Well done too to all those support groups and campaigners who added their support. This decision is good news for victims of asbestos diseases who rely on the expertise of the staff in this office to ensure prompt and efficient payment of their benefits.