| |
Q. |
Which employers operate the
Compensation Scheme? |
| A. |
| -- |
UKAEA |
| -- |
Urenco (Capenhurst) Ltd |
| -- |
British Energy Generation |
| -- |
BNFL |
| -- |
BNFL Magnox Generation |
| -- |
Ministry of Defence |
| -- |
Atomic Weapons Establishment |
| -- |
Devonport Royal Dockyard |
| -- |
Rosyth Royal Dockyard |
| -- |
Babcock Naval Services |
| -- |
GE Healthcare |
|
| Q. |
Who does the Scheme cover? |
| A. |
Any current or former employee from a participating
organisation with a radiation dose record, who has contracted
or died from cancer or has cataract of the eye.
|
| Q. |
Are all cancers included? |
| A. |
Current scientific and medical information
indicates that a few cancers are not induced by exposure to
ionising radiation. These are chronic lymphatic leukaemia,
hairy cell leukaemia, malignant melanoma, malignant mesothelioma
and Hodgkin's disease. These cancers are not, therefore, covered
by the Scheme.
|
| Q. |
How do I submit a claim? |
| A. |
Contact your local trades' union representative
or local office. They will provide you with the necessary
paperwork, information and further guidance. If this route
is taken, the Scheme will assume you are a member of the union
from the outset of the claim, and this can sometimes prevent
delays caused by waiting for the union to confirm your membership
to the Executive Secretary.
OR
Request an Authority Form from the Scheme's Executive Secretary.
This can be done by completing the Claim
Enquiry Form or by contacting the Executive Secretary
direct (tel: 01946 774716)
|
| Q. |
How long will it take? |
| A. |
Collection of the medical, employment and dosimetry data
needed to calculate the probability or chance that the cancer
in question could have been caused by occupational exposure
to radiation should be completed within six months.
If the case is successful and is awarded a payment the Scheme
aims to reach a settlement in twelve to eighteen months from
the time the claim was first made.
|
| Q. |
What will it cost? Will it affect my pension? |
| A. |
The Scheme is funded by the employers and their unions
and
there is no cost to the claimant. If a payment is awarded
under Scheme your pension will not be affected.
|
| Q. |
Do I need a solicitor? |
| A. |
You do not need a solicitor to submit a claim under the
Scheme. The union will act on your behalf. If a claim is successful
the union's solicitors will advise you on issues relating
to the settlement sum. This is paid for by the employer.
|
| Q. |
Why do compensation payments vary so much? |
| A. |
The actual amount of compensation payable is worked out
in the same way as for a successful case in court. Factors
such as age, loss of earnings, pain and suffering, family
situation are taken into account and are different for each
case.
|
| Q. |
Why should I use the Scheme rather than
go to court? |
| A. |
The Scheme is more generous to the claimant for several
reasons. The Scheme awards payments at lower levels of probability
than the 'above 50%, all-or-nothing' criteria used in the
courts. The unions have also negotiated 'generosity' factors
which are included in the Scheme and which make Scheme assessments
more beneficial to claimants. The Scheme is also quicker and
less traumatic than the court system.
|
| Q. |
Why isn't compensation paid automatically
to nuclear industry workers who contract cancer? |
| A. |
Radiation is only one known cause of cancer. One in three
of the of the population will contract cancer during their lives
and one in four will die from cancer. It is not possible medically
to identify the reason for a particular cancer occurring in
an individual. The majority of cancers occurring in nuclear
industry workers will occur naturally and hence automatic compensation
is not appropriate. The Scheme's approach in assessing the probability
that a cancer could have been caused by occupational radiation
exposure is a fair solution for employer and claimant. |
