Disability benefit delight

Apr 20 2009 by Dave Black, The Journal

AFORMER pitman turned MP who had to have one of his knees replaced as a result of years working on the coal face has welcomed a new Government ruling on disability benefits.

Blyth Valley MP Ronnie Campbell is one of a number of coalfield MPs who have campaigned for years to have osteoarthritis of the knee – or miners’ knee – officially recognised as a prescribed industrial disease.

It is estimated that up to 10,000 former miners afflicted by the crippling condition could now be in line for state compensation through the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, after ministers decided to act.

Labour MP Mr Campbell, 65, worked at Bates Colliery in Blyth for 29 years, 14 of them on the coal face when he regularly had to crawl on his hands and knees along seams just 3ft 6ins high.

Chronic knee problems meant he had to give up face work and he had two operations in the 1980s to remove cartilage from both knees, before having a replacement operation on his left knee six years ago. Yesterday he said: “I worked alongside many hundreds of miners at Bates pit and when I see them these days they nearly all walk with a limp and many have had radical surgery to help alleviate the symptoms. This ruling is a victory for all those miners who gave so much to the industry and the country.

“Both of my knees got so bad from crawling along seams that I could not kneel down and sometimes could hardly walk. I endured many years of pain and discomfort, and could hardly get to sleep with the pain at times.”

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, James Purnell, paid tribute to the work of Mr Campbell and other coalfield MPs on the issue of miners’ knee.

Ministers have acted on a recommendation from the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council that miners who have worked underground for 10 years or more should be able to claim Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit. Symptoms of the disease include pain, swelling, stiffness and reduced mobility.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, James Purnell confirmed osteoarthritis of the knee would be added to the list of ‘prescribed diseases’ meaning sufferers would now be able to apply for State compensation through the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.

Mr Purnell said: “It is right that this help should be available to coal miners who are suffering from this painful condition following years of hard work.

“This disease has made life very difficult for a large number of retired miners and forced others to end their working life earlier than planned.”