Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Recommendation 1
1
Deferred
Paragraph: 22
Windrush Compensation Scheme shows critically low application and payment rates.
Conclusion
We are deeply concerned that, as of the end of September, only 20.1% of the initially estimated 15,000 eligible claimants have applied to the scheme and only 5.8% have received any compensation. The troublingly low level of applications and payments are evidence enough that the scheme has not worked as intended. It is even more distressing that twenty-three people have died before receiving any Windrush compensation payment.
Government Response Summary
The government highlights improvements made to the scheme since December 2020 and states it will consider any further recommendations once received from Wendy Williams' ongoing review of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review.
Paragraph Reference:
22
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
Since April 2019, the Compensation Scheme has paid out or offered over £38 million in compensation. Our December 2020 overhaul of the Scheme has had an immediate beneficial impact on the amount paid out—within six weeks we had offered more than we had in the previous 19 months of the Scheme. As of the end of October, the Home Office has paid more than ten times the total amount paid prior to the changes being announced and offered an average of £3.1 million per month. Wendy Williams is currently reviewing the Home Office’s progress in implementing the 30 recommendations set out in the Windrush Lessons Learned Review (WLLR) report, which includes the Windrush Compensation Scheme. We expect the design and operational decision making within the Compensation Scheme to be considered within this review and we will consider any further recommendations once received.