Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason has the Department's Decision Maker's Guide downgraded Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit applications for asbestos (PD1 pneumoconiosis) and asbestos-related pleural thickening (PD9) to non-urgent.

Guidance on how the law is interpreted for DWP decision makers is contained in the Decision Makers' Guide (DMG). The DMG is also published on GOV.UK.

In December 2024, the DMG - Volume 11, Chapter 67 - was updated to remove references to ‘urgent processing criteria’ for some Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) prescribed diseases. This included: D1 (pneumoconiosis), D9 (unilateral or bilateral diffuse pleural thickening) and D12 (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – COPD). This is because ‘urgent processing criteria’ is not set out in IIDB legislation for these conditions. Urgent processing for these conditions is an internal operational procedure only, therefore these references should not have been included in the DMG.

Removing references to urgent processing in the DMG has had no impact on IIDB processing instructions. Claims for D1, D9 and D12 continue to be processed urgently and there are no plans for any future changes to this process. IIDB operational guidance continues to specify that:

• Claims for PD D1 Pneumoconiosis are treated as urgent cases if the claimant mentions exposure to asbestos.
• Claims for PD D9 are treated as urgent cases if the claimant is 'Nearing End of Life' due to their pleural thickening or any other illness the customer has.
• Claims for PD D12 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease are treated as urgent cases if the claimant is known to be 'Nearing End of Life'.