Workers from Swindon, suffering from asbestos-related disease pleural plaques, have been told that they can now claim £5,000 in government compensation.
The Swindon Advertiser told builders liability insurance holders that the Ministry of Justice has now given the go-ahead for the national payment scheme.
It is expected that there will be dozens of claimants from the Swindon area due to the number of people that worked on the railways over the past decades.
However, the news source reported that only those claimants who issued court proceedings, sent a letter, or visited a solicitor to handle a claim before October 17th will be eligible.
"The decision is good news for people suffering with pleural plaques. We have a large number of clients who have been waiting for the Government's decision on this issue. It means we can now start to process their compensation claims," said Brigitte Chandler, a specialist in industrial disease at Charles Lucas and Marshall.
Earlier this week, the dangers of asbestos were highlighted to builders liability insurance holders when the death of Perspex worker Uwe Delfs was blamed on asbestos, according to the Watford Observer.