Industrial injury compensation news
25/11/2009

Miner frustrated by DWP’s proof test

A 75-year-old man from North Staffordshire who is attempting to make an industrial injury compensation claim for the condition miner’s knee has been told to provide the Department for Work and Pensions with proof that he worked underground, despite having already provided them with Mine Rescue gold and silver service medals and proof that he suffers from nitrous fumes poisoning.

The disappointed industrial injury compensation claimant told The Sentinel, "They said I'd need to provide evidence because my employer, the Coal Board, no longer existed.

"When I told them about my medals they said I could have got those while working on the surface. I'd never heard anything so ridiculous.

"It seems the person I was speaking to had no idea what we did.

"How could I work on a mines rescue team for 23 years and never go underground?"

As result of the DWP intransigence, the 75-year-old is now having to provide them with contact details of his former colleagues so that they can verify the miner’s knee claim.

A DWP spokesperson commented, "In order to be entitled to this benefit, customers must show evidence that they have worked underground in a coal mine for 10 years or more, before January 1, 1986. This follows the recommendation of the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council.”

It has only been possible for workers to claim industrial injury compensation for osteoarthritis of the knee caused by working in mines since April of this year and many claims are still waiting to be processed.