Government to Provide Financial Assistance to Miners’ Knee Victims
The government has finally decided to provide help to thousands of miners who have been suffering from Miners’ Knee, also know as osteoarthritis of the knee. Some of the common symptoms of this disease are pain, soreness, and affected mobility.
Having decided to accept the recommendations of The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council that all coal miners suffering from Osteoarthritis of the knee who have been working for more than ten years in an underground environment should be able to make a claim under Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, ministers plan to bring this change into effect in the summer.
James Purnell, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, confirmed that osteoarthritis of the knee would soon be added to the list of prescribed diseases according to which victims are able to claim compensation through the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit. He said that many coal miners have been suffering from this painful disease, and with this relief measure, the government has been able to provide some financial assistance to them. The disease has caused many miners to retire and forced others to quit their jobs earlier than planned.
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Kitty Ussher, DWP Parliamentary Under Secretary, also expressed her happiness at the introduction of this aid to miners who had suffered for no fault of their own. She said that thousands of former miners will now be able to get help from this plan.
