Overview of the Compensation Scheme
Britain has announced a compensation scheme for victims of the contaminated blood scandal, with interim payments worth £210,000 ($267,000) each. The scheme aims to provide comprehensive compensation and is estimated to cost over 10 billion pounds ($12.7 billion).
Interim Compensation Payments
- Victims will receive interim payments of £210,000 each.
- The scheme is expected to be operational by the end of the year.
Eligibility for Compensation
Those eligible for interim payments include living-infected beneficiaries, people registered with existing support schemes, and the estates of those who pass away before the final compensation scheme is operational. The final compensation scheme will cover individuals directly or indirectly infected by contaminated blood products.
Infected Blood Compensation Authority
The government will establish the ‘Infected Blood Compensation Authority’ to oversee the compensation scheme under interim chair Robert Francis, a senior lawyer.
Compensation for Families and Friends
Relatives and friends of victims will also be able to claim compensation under the main scheme. Partners, parents, siblings, children, and caregivers of infected individuals are eligible to apply for compensation.
Findings of the Infected Blood Inquiry
The Infected Blood Inquiry’s report revealed a ‘catalogue of failures’ that led to over 30,000 people in the UK being infected with viruses like hepatitis and HIV. The report highlighted the catastrophic consequences of the scandal and the avoidable nature of the infections.
Full details of the compensation scheme will be available on the government’s website, and a debate in the House of Commons is scheduled to discuss the findings of the inquiry.
