Government Announces Compensation For Infected Blood Victims To Start This Year

The government has announced a "comprehensive compensation" scheme for victims of the infected blood scandal, which will begin to rolled out this year.

Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General John Glen said in a statement to the House of Commons that the government is establishing an infected blood compensation authority and arm's length body to administer the compensation scheme, as well as setting up a shadow body and interim CEO.

He said that payments would be made before the end of the year – so likely before a general election takes place –  and that further interim payments of £210,000 will be made within 90 days to those who are infected.

The minister did not set out the likely cost of the entire scheme, as this would depend on the number of those who will need to be compensated. "Where we need to pay, we will pay, we will minimise delays," he added. 

Compensation will not only extend to direct victims of contaminated blood, but also to the estates of those who have died and those indirectly affected.

"It's not just the harm caused by the infections that requires compensation, it's also the wrong suffered by those affected that must also be compensated for," Glen said.

"So when a person with an eligible infection has been accepted onto the scheme, their affected loved ones will be able to apply for compensation in their own right. That means parents, siblings, children, friends and family who have acted as carers of those who are infected are all eligible to claim."

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak issued an "unequivocal" apology on Monday to infected blood victims after the damning findings of a major multi-year inquiry were published.

A 2,527-page report by inquiry chair Sir Brian Langstaff stated that there