The UK Government laid legislation in Parliament on 1 September 2026 to end a discrepancy in compensation for families of people who died from asbestos-related and dust-related diseases such as mesothelioma and pneumoconiosis, according to the Department for Work and Pensions. Under the current system, a one-off payment made to dependants after the sufferer's death is paid at a reduced rate. Average awards are £17,700 for sufferers and £10,700 for dependants, a shortfall of £7,000.

Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said the change would fix a system campaigners had criticised for over a decade. The department said the changes would also simplify how awards are calculated, removing outdated top-up payments and references to Pneumoconiosis Medical Boards, which it said stopped operating years ago.

In 2025, 2,730 sufferers received an award and a further 300 awards were paid to dependants at the lower rate, according to the department. The changes were laid in Parliament on 1 September 2026 and were planned to come into force on 31 October 2026, subject to Parliamentary approval. The regulations were expected to increase payments to dependants by between £2 million and £6 million annually.