Overview
- New dependant claims made from 31 October 2026 will receive the full lump-sum their deceased relatives would have been entitled to, and the change does not apply to past claims.
- The government says roughly 300 families a year will benefit and it expects the reform to cost between £2 million and £6 million annually.
- Dependants previously received substantially lower payments than living claimants, with 2025 averages of about £10,700 for dependants versus £17,700 for sufferers and an example rise from £24,526 to £56,656 for a 60-year-old dependant.
- The change follows an independent legal review and decades of campaigning by asbestos victim groups and parliamentarians, and the Health and Safety Executive urged continued focus on preventing future asbestos harm.
- Families will see more immediate financial support for day-to-day costs after a death, and officials say the move could prompt administrative updates to compensation schemes and comparable action from Northern Ireland's Department for Communities.