Payouts for veterans with asbestos-related cancer extended after campaign

60 veterans suffering from asbestos-related cancer (mesothelioma) will receive £140,000 lump sum compensation payouts after a campaign from the Royal British Legion to extend an earlier scheme.

The former military personnel who contracted mesothelioma during their service will be entitled to the payments in an extension of a scheme announced in December.

The veterans were originally denied the compensation because they were diagnosed with the cancer before the scheme started.

Now, a policy change will be extended to those already diagnosed, enabling them to access the payouts to help them and their families cope with the disease.

A Royal Navy sailor from Somerset says the move is "a real breakthrough".

Commodore Rhod Palmer, a third-generation Royal Navy sailor, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in April 2015 and stood to miss out on the payments.

The 62-year-old has now called for more research into the treatment of the "devastating" illness and thanked the Royal British Legion for its support.

Chris Simpkins, Director General of The Royal British Legion, said the Government has “done the right thing” in announcing the changes to compensation pay-outs.

What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a particularly aggressive form of terminal cancer that affects the lungs, and which is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos.

The cancer can take decades to materialise but, once diagnosed, most sufferers will have a life expectancy of between one and two years.