Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2008 No. 354

Social Security

The Mesothelioma Lump Sum Payments (Conditions and Amounts) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008

Made

27th August 2008

Coming into operation

1st October 2008

Approved by resolution of the Assembly on

17th February 2009

The Department for Social Development makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 1(3) and 2(1)(b) and (c), (2)(b) and (c), (3)(e) and (4)(d) of the Mesothelioma, etc., Act (Northern Ireland) 2008(1).

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Mesothelioma Lump Sum Payments (Conditions and Amounts) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 and shall come into operation on 1st October 2008.

(2) In these Regulations—

“the Act” means the Mesothelioma, etc., Act (Northern Ireland) 2008;

“claim” means a claim under section 1(1) of the Act;

“deceased” means a person who, immediately before death, had mesothelioma;

“enactment” includes any statutory provision;

“lump sum payment” means a payment under section 1(2) of the Act;

“mesothelioma” means “diffuse mesothelioma”;

“payment” includes a payment in money or money’s worth or in kind.

Disqualifying payments

2.—(1) The following payments are prescribed for the purposes of section 2(1)(a), (2)(a) and (3)(e) of the Act (payments which, if made in consequence of mesothelioma, prevent the conditions provided for in section 2(1)(a) and (2)(a) from being fulfilled)—

(a)payment under the Naval, Military and Air Forces Etc. (Disablement and Death) Service Pensions Order 2006(2);

(b)payment under the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) Order 2005(3);

(c)payment from any government department, authority, body corporate or employer exempted from insurance by or under Article 7 of the Employers’ Liability (Defective Equipment and Compulsory Insurance) (Northern Ireland) Order 1972(4) or section 3 of the Employers’ Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969(5);

(d)payment under the UK Asbestos Trust established on 10th October 2006 for the benefit of certain persons suffering from asbestos-related diseases;

(e)payment under the EL Scheme Trust established on 23rd November 2006 for the benefit of certain persons suffering from asbestos-related diseases.

(2) The following payments are prescribed for the purposes of section 2(1)(b) and (2)(b) of the Act (payments eligibility for which prevents the conditions provided for in section 2(1)(b) or (2)(b) from being fulfilled)—

(a)payment under the Naval, Military and Air Forces Etc. (Disablement and Death) Service Pensions Order 2006;

(b)payment under the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) Order 2005.

Disregarded payments

3.  A payment made in error and which in consequence is liable to be repaid in accordance with an enactment or rule of law is to be disregarded for the purpose of section 2(1)(a) or (2)(a) of the Act.

Presence in the United Kingdom

4.—(1) In the case of a person with mesothelioma it is a condition of entitlement that the person was in the United Kingdom at a time when and place where that person was exposed to asbestos.

(2) In the case of a dependant it is a condition of entitlement that the deceased was in the United Kingdom at a time when and place where the deceased was exposed to asbestos.

Amount of lump sum payment

5.—(1) The amount of a payment made under section 1(2) of the Act to a person with mesothelioma shall be determined in accordance with Table 1 of the Schedule.

(2) In Table 1 of the Schedule the reference to the age of the person is a reference to—

(a)the age at which the person was first diagnosed with mesothelioma; or

(b)where the age at which the person was first diagnosed with mesothelioma is unknown, the age at which the person made the claim.

(3) The amount of a payment made under section 1(2) of the Act to a dependant shall be determined in accordance with Table 2 of the Schedule.

(4) In Table 2 of the Schedule the reference to the age of the person with mesothelioma is a reference to the age of the person at death.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Social Development on 27th August 2008

(L.S.)

B McGahan

A senior officer of the Department for Social Development

Regulation 5

SCHEDULE

Table 1

Amount of lump sum payment to person with mesothelioma

Age of person with mesothelioma at diagnosis,Payment
or, if unknown, at date of claim£
37 and under52,772
3851,747
3950,722
4049,698
4148,673
4247,648
4347,137
4446,621
4546,112
4645,599
4745,086
4843,653
4942,219
5040,781
5139,349
5237,911
5336,888
5435,864
5534,841
5633,812
5732,789
5830,125
5927,460
6024,799
6122,133
6219,469
6317,829
6416,189
6514,551
6612,911
6711,272
6810,939
6910,604
7010,273
719,941
729,608
739,325
749,037
758,759
768,480
77 and over8,197

Table 2

Amount of lump sum payment to dependant

Age of person with mesothelioma at deathPayment
£
37 and under23,953
3823,362
3922,774
4022,185
4121,595
4221,007
4320,444
4419,874
4519,313
4618,751
4718,189
4817,496
4916,804
5016,112
5115,423
5214,732
5314,165
5413,603
5513,039
5612,473
5711,911
5810,351
598,787
607,226
615,662
624,098
633,651
643,207
652,752
662,306
67 and over1,859

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations provide for a lump sum payment under section 1 of the Mesothelioma, etc., Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (“the Act”) to a person with diffuse mesothelioma or the person’s dependant.

Regulation 2 specifies certain payments, eligibility or receipt of which disqualifies a person from entitlement to a lump sum payment.

Regulation 3 prevents disqualification for payments which are liable to be repaid.

Regulation 4 requires the person with diffuse mesothelioma to have been in the United Kingdom at the time and place of exposure to asbestos.

Regulation 5 and the Schedule set out the amounts payable to a person with diffuse mesothelioma or a dependant, based on the age of the person with diffuse mesothelioma.

Sections 1(3) and 2(1)(b) and (c), (2)(b) and (c), (3)(e) and (4)(d) of the Act under which these Regulations are made were brought into operation, for the purpose only of authorising the making of regulations on 27th August 2008 and for all other purposes on 1st October 2008 by the Mesothelioma, etc., (2008 Act) (Commencement) Order (Northern Ireland) 2008 (S.R. 2008 No. 351 (C. 19)).

(4)

S.I 1972/963 (N.I. 6); Article 7 was amended by paragraph 1 of Schedule 2 to the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 (S.I. 1991/194 (N.I. 1)) and Part 5 of Schedule 7 to the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 (c. 16)