Bereaved families across West Dunbartonshire could receive fairer compensation for asbestos-related deaths due to new legislation by the UK Government.
The move follows campaigning by Clydebank Asbestos Group, a local MP and lawyers to strengthen UK compensation rights, particularly in Clydebank, once dubbed the asbestos capital of Europe.
The draft regulations, laid in Parliament by the UK Labour Government, will end the reduced rate of compensation currently paid to families of people who have died from asbestos-related and other dust diseases.
Douglas McAllister, MP for West Dunbartonshire, said: "Bereaved families have already endured the unthinkable, so they shouldn’t also face a financial unfairness at the worst possible time.
"These changes are about ending injustices and supporting our wider drive for fairness.
"This is a particularly welcome announcement from our UK Labour Government because West Dunbartonshire has such a long history of workers being exposed to asbestos, and asbestos-related illness as a result."
The government is also introducing clearer and simpler award rules, removing outdated elements and creating a single structure for all claimants.
In 2025, a total of 2,730 people received compensation awards, while 300 bereaved families were paid at the lower rate.
The draft regulations are due to come into force on October 31, 2026, subject to Parliamentary approval.
Sir Stephen Timms, Minister for Social Security and Disability, added: "Families who have lost a loved one to a disease caused by their work deserve our support, not a system that treats them as an afterthought.
"That’s exactly what’s been happening, and campaigners have been telling us for over a decade that it’s wrong.
"Today we’re fixing it.
"Fairer, simpler, clearer support for families, at an incredibly difficult time in their lives."
Mr McAllister is also campaigning to reform the 2006 Compensation Act to ensure those with asbestos-related lung cancer receive the same level of compensation as mesothelioma sufferers.
In March, he secured a debate in the House of Commons to discuss changes to the existing legislation.
He said: "I have been working with Clydebank Asbestos Group and the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers to address the gap in compensation rights for those diagnosed with asbestos-related lung cancer.
"Currently, these individuals are not entitled to full compensation unless all responsible employers or their insurers can be identified, unlike mesothelioma sufferers who can claim in full by tracing just one former employer.
"A small change to the existing legislation would solve this.
"West Dunbartonshire is among the UK’s worst hotspots for deaths linked to a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos at work, due to our industrial and shipbuilding heritage.
"That is why I am determined to resolve this injustice so there is full and fair compensation for all victims."
In Scotland, separate legislative changes are also underway.
Marie McNair, MSP for Clydebank, has secured a commitment from the Scottish Government to scrap the current three-year time bar that asbestos-related cancer victims face when seeking compensation, as we previously reported.
She also works closely with Clydebank Asbestos Group.
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At the time, McNair said: "It is vitally important that we act quickly as people are dying before they receive compensation, so I am pleased that I have secured a commitment from the First Minister that the legislation to achieve this will be introduced this year.
“Asbestos diseases develop slowly, but then death can occur quickly.
“So, people can become ill and die without ever receiving damages or even being able to bring a claim at all.
“This is heartbreaking and unjust.
"I am determined it must be ended, and my constituents and many others get access to full compensation."
Tommy Gorman, a board member of Clydebank Asbestos Group, added: "I strongly welcome that legislation will be introduced this year and acknowledge the tireless work of Marie McNair MSP in this achievement.
"She has been resolute in bringing this about.
"This new legislation will provide better access to justice for asbestos sufferers and bereaved relatives which has been denied for decades by a ruthless insurance industry."
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