Conclusion 22

We asked the Departments why there is such substantial variation in the time taken to settle claims. DBT responded that it is waiting for people to submit full claims on the Horizon Compensation Schemes and it is keen to pay victims.50 The Home Office said that, on the Windrush Compensation Scheme, launching without case-working capacity was a serious issue that resulted in backlogs and completely unacceptable processing times, that needed improvement.51 The Home Office also told us it investigated why claims longer than 12 months were unresolved, which it attributed mainly to complex cases and claims with probate considerations.52 The Home Office agreed that claims should be resolved within a reasonable timeframe, stating that claims taking longer than 12 months to resolve were not acceptable.53 We asked both DBT and the Home Office how processing times had improved, with DBT attributing this to the introduction of fixed-sum offer payments and the Home Office crediting better resourcing and a single case worker approach.54 Finally, we asked the departments whether they agree that claims taking over 1,000 working days were unacceptable. The Home Office and DBT agreed, but both also stated that a lot of the longest claims are delayed because claimants want to pause or slow the process, because they are finding it distressing and retraumatising, and departments only progress claims at the pace victims want.55 Complex evidential requirements and legal support for claimants