Recommendations & Conclusions
28 items
4
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
It reflects the deep and far-reaching problems with the compliant environment policy that, four years on from the emergence of the scandal, the Home Office still does not know how many people were affected and how many are eligible to apply to the Windrush Compensation Scheme.
Government response. The government acknowledges the need to rebuild trust and describes extensive ongoing engagement and outreach efforts with community and faith leaders, including running events and working with the Windrush Working Group.
Home Office
5
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
The Home Office should provide more details of how it is identifying the assumptions underpinning its claim volume scenarios and how it is establishing its planning estimates in its response to this Report. (Paragraph 32) 88 The Windrush Compensation Scheme A lower than expected number of applications
Government response. The government commits to providing an update with the number of full and final impact on life payments made at each level of award, in addition to its regularly published transparency data.
Home Office
6
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
It is clear from the low level of claims submitted to the compensation scheme to date, and from evidence we have received, that there is considerable work to be done in order to rebuild trust and confidence in the Home Office to deliver the Windrush Compensation Scheme, and to demonstrate …
Government response. The government is proactively writing to individuals who have been granted documentation under the Windrush Scheme but have not yet applied for compensation, with the first batch of 2,500 letters already sent and the rest to follow in the next …
Home Office
9
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
The changes to the Windrush Compensation Scheme which were announced in December 2020 were long overdue and the increase in applications since then is to be welcomed. The Department’s work to understand better why eligible people have yet to apply for compensation is also to be welcomed. However, that application …
Government response. The government details various ongoing and future communication and outreach strategies, including filming new video guides in multiple languages and planning the next phase of its campaign with new video, audio, and editorial content, to rebuild trust.
Home Office
10
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
Given the continued uncertainty around the number of eligible claimants and the fact that some eligible claimants currently lack the confidence, patience or trust in the Home Office to apply for a scheme administered by the Department, we strongly welcome the removal of the formal end date for the scheme. …
Government response. The government highlights its ongoing proactive engagement efforts, including funding grassroots organizations to run awareness events and the £500,000 Community Fund, and states it continues to seek new ways of collaborating with community groups.
Home Office
21
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
Whilst the Home Office’s grassroots campaign and the launch of the Windrush Community Fund are welcome, it is unacceptable that they took so long to get off the ground and didn’t even start providing funds for community projects until two years after the compensation scheme opened. As a result of …
Government response. The government response outlines the existing support provided by "We Are Digital" for claimants, detailing how they are encouraged to offer flexible appointment times and how their service is quality assured. It emphasizes the scheme's design for accessibility without legal …
Home Office
22
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
The Home Office should bolster the support and funding available to grassroots campaigns and community groups tasked with raising awareness of the Windrush schemes, ensuring that those in which the community has confidence and which have expertise in this work are adequately supported. It should look to scale up its …
Government response. The government states the Compensation Scheme is accessible without legal assistance, with caseworkers providing support. It is continuously evaluating how to improve claimant help and working with "We Are Digital" to ensure their service is accessible.
Home Office
32
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
We also strongly welcome the increased payments for impact on life. However, we are troubled that one of the reasons identified by the NAO for this change was, effectively, to supplement other categories of loss where compensation is either insufficient or inaccessible due to the evidential requirements. We are saddened …
Government response. The government committed to reviewing its definition of Homelessness within the compensation scheme, noting that claimants are currently not precluded from awards in this category if staying with family and friends.
Home Office
33
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
The changes made to the scheme in December do not go far enough to address the delays and the unreasonable demands for evidence which claimants are facing. (Paragraph 103) Estate claims
Government response. The government stated it will review the discretionary category, which was introduced to cover financial losses not captured by other categories, and will provide updates.
Home Office
34
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
Given the very apparent delays in processing estate claims and the clear reason for this, it is unacceptable that the Home Office has only recently provided a solution.
Government response. The government explained that policy and operational teams are closely examining the Discretionary category, outlining current procedures for awarding claims and citing examples of previous awards.
Home Office
35
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
The Home Office should monitor the impact of its package of support carefully to ensure that it is meeting the needs of people who are claiming on behalf of an estate. (Paragraph 108) Communication with caseworkers
Government response. The government stated it is committed to keeping all scheme categories under review, utilising feedback from existing quality assurance processes and Tier 1 and Tier 2 reviews to identify trends and areas needing scrutiny.
Home Office
37
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
We welcome the improvements that have been made to the claim forms and accompanying guidance. However, we are disappointed that the Home Office did The Windrush Compensation Scheme 93 not act upon the advice of its then independent adviser and that it took more than two years to make these …
Government response. The government stated it will continue to listen to feedback to ensure the scheme operates effectively and specifically committed to reviewing rules on mitigation of loss.
Home Office
39
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
We welcome the Home Office’s decision to enable individuals to contact We Are Digital directly for assistance with their application form; this recognises that some people who are eligible for compensation will not feel comfortable accessing assistance through the Department. (Paragraph 126) Assistance with completing applications
Government response. The government reaffirmed the Home Secretary's unreserved apology to Windrush victims and families, stating its commitment to ensuring proper compensation and that all claimants receive a personal letter of apology.
Home Office
45
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
We strongly welcome the removal of the higher standard of proof from the scheme and the revised guidance for caseworkers issued in July 2021. However, we are extremely disappointed that it has taken the Home Office so long to respond to longstanding concerns about how the standard of proof should …
Government response. The government commits to reporting the outcomes of both Tier 1 and Tier 2 reviews to the Independent Advisor, and states that outcomes are shared with senior civil servants and the WCS Oversight Board, in relation to learning from reviews.
Home Office
46
Recommendation
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
We are not yet convinced that the Home Office has done enough to embed a light touch approach to evidence: for example, we note that the revised caseworker guidance provides no detail as to what the changes made to the standard of proof in October 2020 mean in practice. We …
Government response. The government describes its existing two-stage independent review process for claims, stating that recommendations from the Adjudicator’s Office (Tier 2) are normally accepted and implemented, with disagreements reported to the Oversight Board.
Home Office
49
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
The Home Office must provide greater clarity about how impact on life awards are determined and should issue clear guidance on how different types of impact and levels of harm correspond to each tariff level.
Government response. The government outlines the 'Impact on Life' compensation category, stating that its determination is based on 5 levels of increasing severity and duration, with publicly available casework guidance defining how awards are considered.
Home Office
53
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
Across all categories of claim, caseworkers must consider holistically the situation the claimant was in: where an eligible claimant was unable to demonstrate their right to live, work and access services in the UK, compensation should not be declined solely on the basis that they are unable to document a …
Government response. The government states that caseworkers are already trained to consider claims holistically and do not decline compensation solely due to a lack of documentation, encouraging various forms of evidence.
Home Office
60
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
The Home Office should clarify that awards under the category of claim for homelessness are available to individuals who lived with family and friends whilst they were unable to access housing or because their financial situation meant they lost their home. (Paragraph 208) Discretionary awards
Government response. The government clarifies that claimants living with family and friends are currently not precluded from receiving homelessness awards, while also stating that their definition of homelessness is under review.
Home Office
64
Recommendation
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
The Home Office should be more transparent about the types of loss it is prepared to compensate through a discretionary award and should set out what types of claim under this category have previously been accepted. The Home Office should also provide assurances as to how consistency in decision-making is …
Government response. The government confirmed policy and operational teams are reviewing the discretionary category, provided examples of previously accepted awards (travel, medical, legal advice reimbursement), and stated consistency is maintained through technical specialist sign-off.
Home Office
65
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
The high number of claims made for a discretionary award suggests that there are types of loss not yet accounted for within the scheme. It may also indicate a continuing lack of clarity about the headings under which certain types of claim should be made. It is important therefore that …
Government response. The government states it is already committed to keeping all categories under review and uses existing quality assurance and review processes to monitor trends and policy elements requiring scrutiny.
Home Office
72
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
The Home Office must ensure that apologies to those affected by the Windrush scandal are issued at the earliest opportunity and that the Department’s role in causing any impacts or losses suffered is fully acknowledged.
Government response. The government confirms the Home Secretary has already apologised unreservedly, and every individual receiving a compensation offer receives a personal apology letter from the Home Secretary at the conclusion of their claim.
Home Office
74
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
The Urgent and Exceptional Payment Scheme was rightly, albeit belatedly, set up to help those who needed immediate financial assistance, including those facing real hardship. However, in too many cases it has failed to do so and it appears to have operated with the same bureaucratic insensitivities as those which …
Government response. The government outlines its existing process for providing urgent financial support to individuals facing hardship through the Windrush Help Team and Vulnerable Persons Team, indicating that a separate light-touch process is maintained for rapid assistance.
Home Office
76
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
The Department should also raise the standard payment cap of £5,000 to ensure that those who are in urgent need of greater financial support, or those who face multiple simultaneous financial challenges, are provided with adequate emergency funds to alleviate their hardship. It should ensure applicants receive a decision within …
Government response. The government clarifies that its policy on Urgent and Exceptional Payments does not have a cap, and it already makes payments exceeding £5,000 when appropriate. It states decisions are made as soon as possible but does not commit to a …
Home Office
77
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
In light of the evidence we have received, we reject the Home Secretary’s assertion that it is sufficiently clear to individuals that, in most circumstances, any payment they receive under the urgent and exceptional support policy will be treated as an advance on a future compensation award.
Government response. The government asserts that it is clear to individuals that urgent payments are advances on future compensation, citing the updated policy on GOV.UK (Feb 2021) and revised decision letters (March 2021) that explicitly state payments may be deducted. They also …
Home Office
78
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
The ‘Windrush scheme: support in urgent and exceptional circumstances’ guidance should be amended immediately to make clear that urgent and exceptional payments can be recovered in full from a subsequent offer of compensation; caseworkers should receive training to ensure that this is also made sufficiently clear in any direct communications …
Government response. The government states that the policy and decision letter wording were updated in February and March 2021 respectively, to clarify that urgent payments may be deducted from future compensation. They also intend to remind the Help Team and caseworkers to …
Home Office
81
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
Given the significance of the Windrush Compensation Scheme in righting the wrongs done by the Home Office, and the importance of getting the scheme right, we cannot understand why the Home Office has designed a system which does not allow senior civil servants, Ministers or this Committee to monitor the …
Government response. The government clarifies that review outcomes are regularly monitored to inform policy changes, noting the Adjudicator Officer's existing publications. It commits to reporting the outcomes of both Tier 1 and Tier 2 reviews to the Independent Advisor and states that …
Home Office
82
Conclusion
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
Given the Home Office’s role in causing the initial harm it is extremely problematic that the Department is not only responsible for the design and administration 100 The Windrush Compensation Scheme of the Windrush Compensation Scheme, but that it also retains full control over interpretation of the scheme rules. We …
Government response. The government outlines its existing two-stage independent review process for claims, which includes Tier 1 reviews by dedicated staff and Tier 2 reviews by the Adjudicator's Office, whose recommendations are normally accepted.
Home Office
88
Recommendation
Fifth Report - The Windrush Compensatio…
Accepted
We welcome the personal commitment expressed by the Home Secretary to the operation of the scheme and the improvements that have been made to the scheme over time; however, these changes have taken far too long and have not gone far enough. Our report shows that there are still fundamental …
Government response. The government acknowledges the need to do more to rebuild trust and address issues, detailing ongoing engagement and outreach efforts through community leaders, surgeries, the Windrush Working Group, and the Windrush Community Fund, and committing to continue these efforts.
Home Office