Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 30
30
Deferred
Paragraph: 101
Preliminary Windrush impact on life awards welcomed but insufficient given claimant needs.
Conclusion
Whilst we strongly welcome the introduction of the preliminary payment for impact on life, we are disappointed by the Home Office’s estimate that only 40–50% of claimants will benefit from it. It is right that the Home Office created a mechanism to accelerate payments in light of unacceptable delays, but these preliminary awards 92 The Windrush Compensation Scheme clearly do not go far enough. The Windrush generation are an ageing cohort and too many individuals have already died without receiving compensation for the hardship they endured. This must not happen again.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government refers the Committee to its response for recommendation 29, thereby avoiding addressing the substance of this recommendation concerning the adequacy and scope of preliminary payments for impact on life.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
101
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
If an individual is dissatisfied with the outcome of their compensation claim, they can ask the Home Office to review its decision. This will be an internal independent review by someone who has not been involved in the consideration of an individual’s case. If an individual remains dissatisfied, they can then request an external independent review outside of the Home Office. Their claim will be looked at by the Adjudicator’s Office. The Adjudicator’s Office is a separate organisation, independent of the Home Office who can look at, among other things, whether the department has followed its policies, and the use of discretion by the Windrush Compensation Team. The preliminary payment is payable to those who meet the criteria at level 1 of the Impact on Life scale. Close family members have always had to reach level 2 on the Impact on Life scale to receive a payment under the Scheme. It is very difficult to provide timescales on reviews, given the varying nature of the claims and their complexities. What we can say is that Tier 1 will work to resolve cases at pace, liaising with the customers regarding expectation on decision delivery.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗