Statutory Instruments

2008 No. 1963

Social Security

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

Made

17th July 2008

Coming into force

1st October 2008

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in exercise of the powers conferred by section 1(1) of the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers’ Compensation) Act 1979(1) and sections 46(3) and 47 of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008(2) makes the following Regulations.

In accordance with section 7(3) of the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Worker’s Compensation) Act 1979 and section 53(3) of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 and (these being the first Regulations made under section 47 of that Act) section 53(4) of that Act, a draft of this instrument was laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Mesothelioma Lump Sum Payments (Conditions and Amounts) Regulations 2008.

(2) These Regulations shall come into force on 1st October 2008.

(3) In these Regulations—

“the Act” means the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008;

“claim” means a claim under section 46(1) of the Act;

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

“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 47(1)(a), (2)(a) and (3)(e) of the Act (payments which, if made in consequence of diffuse mesothelioma, prevent the conditions provided for in section 47(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(3);

(b)payment under the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) Order 2005(4);

(c)payment from any Government Department, authority, body corporate or employer exempted from insurance by or under 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 47(1)(b) and (2)(b) of the Act (payments eligibility for which prevents the conditions provided for in section 47(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 a statutory provision or rule of law, is to be disregarded for the purpose of section 47(1)(a) or (2)(a) of the Act (conditions of entitlement).

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 46(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 46(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 that person at death.

Amendment of Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers’ Compensation) (Payment of Claims) Regulations 1988

6.  At the end of regulation 3 of the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers’ Compensation) (Payment of Claims) Regulations 1988(6) (payments to persons disabled by disease), add—

(5) Where—

(a)a payment is made to a person under section 46 of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 (the mesothelioma payment) in respect of diffuse mesothelioma,

(b)subsequently it is determined that the same person is entitled to a payment under section 1(1) of the Act in respect of the same diffuse mesothelioma,

the amount payable under paragraph (1) shall be reduced by the amount of the mesothelioma payment..

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

William D McKenzie

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State,

Department for Work and Pensions

17th July 2008

Regulation 5

SCHEDULE

Table 1

Amount of lump sum payment to person with mesothelioma

Age of person with mesothelioma at diagnosis, or, if unknown, at date of claim

Payment

£

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 dependent

Age of person with mesothelioma at death

Payment

£

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 46 of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008 to a person with diffuse mesothelioma (mesothelioma) or the person’s dependant.

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

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

Regulation 4 requires that the person with mesothelioma was in the United Kingdom during his or her exposure to asbestos.

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

Regulation 6 amends the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers’ Compensation) (Payment of Claims) Regulations 1988 so that certain payments under the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers’ Compensation) Act 1979 are reduced by the amount of a payment for mesothelioma.

A full impact assessment has not been published for this instrument as it has no impact on the private or voluntary sectors.