Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 61
61
Deferred
Paragraph: 213
Disparity evident between Home Office intent and claimant understanding of discretionary award purpose.
Conclusion
We are concerned that the number of claims submitted under the discretionary category may indicate a disparity between the Home Office’s intention for this provision and claimants’ understanding of the purpose of this aspect of the Scheme.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government explains the purpose of the discretionary category and states that it will be reviewed, with updates to be provided.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
213
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
The Scheme is designed to cover as many aspects as possible of a person’s life that are likely to have been affected by an inability to demonstrate status. We introduced a discretionary category to cover such instances where there is evidence that a financial loss incurred which is not captured within the other existing categories of claim. This will be reviewed, and we will provide updates. Policy and Operational teams are working together, looking closely at the Discretionary category. Regarding consistency, any proposal to award in this category is discussed and signed off by a technical specialist. Previous awards in this category have been in respect of travel costs (both internationally and within the UK), medical invoices (submitted as part of an application to the HO), and the reimbursement monies paid in respect of legal advice. We have committed to keeping all categories within the Scheme under review. Feedback from our quality assurance processes alongside that received from our Tier 1 and Tier 2 reviews ensure we have real time insight enabling us to identify trends in decision making and any elements of the Schemes’ policy which require additional scrutiny and review.
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