More British veterans have died from asbestos-related illnesses than were killed in combat by the Taliban, in what campaigners are calling a national disgrace.
Government records show that since 2014, more than 3,500 veterans have died from mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases, nine times the number of troops killed by hostile action during Britain’s 20-year involvement in Afghanistan.
While 405 personnel were killed by Taliban attacks between 2001 and 2021, the silent toll of asbestos exposure has continued to climb, linked to poor-quality military housing, ageing ships, submarines, helicopters and even tanks.
Veterans are now said to be up to ten times more likely to develop an asbestos-related illness than civilians, according to the British Occupational Hygiene Society.
On average, 89 ex-service personnel a year are diagnosed with mesothelioma, an aggressive and incurable cancer caused by inhaling asbestos fibres. Many more are believed to suffer from other asbestos-linked conditions such as asbestosis and lung cancer.
Exposure and Inequality
Under the Ministry of Defence’s mesothelioma compensation scheme, introduced in 2016, 803 payouts have been made totalling £112.5 million, but only to veterans already diagnosed as terminally ill.
Unlike civilian workers exposed to asbestos, military claimants receive lower compensation and are often excluded from the broader support available in civil cases. Most veterans receive a fixed lump sum of £140,000, a figure that has not increased in nine years.
Civilian claims, however, routinely exceed £240,000, and often include funding for advanced or experimental treatments. Military settlements do not.
“It’s a national disgrace,” said Liz Darlison, Chief Executive of Mesothelioma UK. “Our boys and girls are being killed faster by asbestos than they ever were by the Taliban.”
She added: “Even more of a disgrace is how they are treated by the military once their disease is diagnosed. Civilian families can pursue claims after a loved one dies, but under the military system, families are often left with nothing.”
The Legal Fight
The issue has now triggered legal action, with 260 ex-Royal Marines suing the MoD after claiming they were knowingly exposed to asbestos during training exercises in Latvia in 2018 and 2019.
Edward Hill, a former Royal Marine leading the legal challenge, said: “Veterans aren’t being looked after. According to my research, asbestos-related disease kills more veterans than anything other than natural causes.”
“The Government talks a lot about the Armed Forces Covenant, but in my experience, it’s not worth the paper it’s written on.”
Long-Term Suffering
Asbestos exposure is the UK’s single biggest industrial killer, responsible for over 5,000 deaths a year, more than half from mesothelioma. Symptoms can take 20 to 60 years to develop, meaning veterans exposed decades ago are still falling ill today.
Once diagnosed, most victims survive less than a year.
Until 2016, veterans were barred from claiming under civil law due to Crown Immunity. A change in legislation now allows them to apply for compensation through the War Pension Scheme or the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, but only under strict criteria.
Research by Sheffield University for Mesothelioma UK found that veterans receive significantly worse outcomes and lower settlements than civilians in almost every case.
Labour MP Emma Lewell-Buck, whose grandfather died from mesothelioma, has called for urgent reform.
“It can’t be right that those who have served get lesser compensation than civilians,” she said. “This must be addressed without delay.”
MoD Response
The Ministry of Defence said comparisons with civilian claims were “not equivalent,” noting that veterans face a lower burden of proof when making claims.
A spokesperson said: “We take the health and safety of our service personnel and defence employees extremely seriously. While lump sum payments have not increased, widower pensions under the scheme rise annually with inflation.”
But for campaigners and bereaved families, the damage is already done, and the calls for justice are growing louder.
