People suffering from asbestos disease who have previously been unable to claim industrial disablement pension will soon be able to claim benefit - following government changes to the industrial disease benefit system.

Until now, people suffering from lung cancer have not received benefits because it was considered their cancer was the result of smoking and not caused by heavy exposure to asbestos.

However planned changes to industrial disablement pensions announced by the government mean that lung cancer patients will receive industrial disease benefits – and may also be able to pursue compensation from employers who did not provide adequate protection and advice if asbestos was present in the workplace.

“This is very good news for asbestos sufferers,” says Brigitte Chandler of law firm, Charles Lucas & Marshall and one of the UK’s leading industrial disease lawyers. “Until now, people with lung cancer without the presence of asbestosis - but who had been heavily exposed to asbestos – have been unable to receive any government benefit.

“This is to change and all people will need to do to qualify for Industrial Disablement Pension is demonstrate that there was substantial occupational exposure to asbestos.”

The Government has decided to make the changes after sustained lobbying from the Occupational & Environmental Diseases Association and following medical evidence from leading asbestos specialists.