Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 47
47
Deferred
Urgently publish the equalities impact assessment for the Windrush Compensation Scheme.
Recommendation
Given the concerns about the Department’s understanding of the eligible cohort and the difficulties with obtaining documentary evidence, in the interest of transparency we further recommend that the Home Office urgently publishes its equalities impact assessment for the Windrush Compensation Scheme. (Paragraph 157) Impact on life
Government Response Summary
The government response outlines its existing two-stage review process for compensation claims and clarifies the criteria for preliminary payments, but does not address the recommendation to publish the equalities impact assessment for the scheme.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
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.