Improved compensation for pneumoconiotics
People diagnosed as pneumoconiotics after January 1, 1981 will be able to get better compensation under the Pneumoconiosis Compensation Scheme from tomorrow (Monday).
The Pneumoconiosis (Compensation) (Amendment) Ordinance 1996, to be effective tomorrow, will make substantial improvements to both the compensation package and method of assessment of incapacity for this category of pneumoconiotics.
"Compensation for pain, suffering and loss of amenitics (PSLA) is made a separate item of compensation and that all eligible pneumoconiotics under the scheme will be given the same monthly payment of $2,570 for PSLA irrespective of the degree of their incapacity," a Labour Department spokesman said today (Sunday).
The Pneumoconiosis Medical Board is empowered to adjust a pneumoconiotic's degree of incapacity as measured by the specified Forced Vital Capacity test by up to five per cent so as to take into account the varying physical conditions of pneumoconiotics.
The statutory functions of the Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund Board (PCFB) are expanded to cover the conduct of rehabilitation programmes.
The amending ordinance also enables the PCFB to pay medical expenses to those who have incurred such expenses on behalf of a deceased pneumoconiotic instead of making all such payments to his family as under the previous ordinance.
A technical anomaly in the calculation of interim payments to family members of a deceased pneumoconiotic is also rectified.
Those who were diagnosed as pneumoconiotics before the establishment of the compensation scheme in January 1981 are provided with an annually adjusted quarterly ex gratia payment until death under the Pneumoconiosis Ex Gratia Scheme introduced in July 1993.
If they die of pneumoconiosis, funeral expenses will be reimbursed to any person who has incurred such expenses on their behalf.
The spokesman said that improvements made under the amending ordinance would not be extended to this group of pneumoconiotics as they had been taken care of under a separate scheme. However, cepain improvements to the ex gratia scheme will be made from tomOLLOW