Miners’ Knee Victims Can Seek State Compensation
Miners’ Knee, or Osteoarthritis of the knee, will be added to the prescribed diseases, enabling sufferers of the disease to claim help from the Government.
The disease would be added to the list of ‘prescribed diseases’, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, James Purnell, confirmed. This step means that sufferers can now seek State compensation through the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit. The decision is expected to come into force in the summer.
Miners’ knee is a chronic knee condition resulting from working underground. Symptoms of the disease include intense pain, swelling, stiffness of the knee and restricted mobility.
Mr. Purnell was glad that this assistance should be available to coal miners suffering from this painful condition as a result of years of hard work. This disease had made life very difficult for thousands of retired miners, and was cutting short the working life of many others due to the disability, he said.
Employers, now more than ever need to arm themselves with the right advice and training though the direction of experts in the field. Find out more about the highly regarded iosh managing safely course run by the experts at Workplace Law Training which could be just the ticket for you.
Kitty Ussher, DWP Parliamentary Under Secretary, was also happy that financial help was now available to miners who were afflicted by Miners’ knee for no fault of their own. Thousands of former miners would benefit from this aid, she added.
The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council, an independent statutory body that advises the Secretary of State for Social Security on Industrial Injury schemes, had recommended that coal miners with the disease who have worked underground for ten years or more should be able to claim Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit. The ministers have acted on the recommendation.
