Severe Psychological Harm
Infected Blood Inquiry · Additional Report on Compensation · Issued 9 July 2025 · Addressed to: UK Government
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
The approach of the Infected Blood Psychology Service is adopted so that both a diagnosis made by a psychiatric professional and a formulation-based opinion of all qualified psychological and counselling professionals are accepted as sufficient evidence of severe psychological harm and that such evidence should qualify a person for a supplementary Severe Health Condition award without the additional need to demonstrate a period of consultant-led secondary mental health treatment or assessment/treatment as an inpatient.
Infected Blood Inquiry, Additional Report on Compensation · 9 Jul 2025 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- The Government stated in July 2025 that it accepted this recommendation in principle and would consult on evidence requirements and thresholds for severe psychological harm awards (Infected Blood Inquiry Additional Report: Government Response, Cabinet Office, July 2025).
- A consultation on proposed changes to the infected blood compensation scheme was opened on 24 November 2025, covering evidence standards for psychological harm (Consultation: Proposed Changes to the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme, Cabinet Office, November 2025).
- The government stated that a new Severe Health Condition award would provide additional financial-loss and care compensation for severe psychological harm (Government Response to Consultation on Changes to the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme, Cabinet Office, 14 April 2026).
Sources
How was this evidence gathered?
Response — verbatim from government
●UK Government
The Government accepts more needs to be done to test with the community the severity level and evidential requirements for those applying with severe psychological harm under the severe health condition award. The Government has committed to consult on the evidence requirements and the threshold for a supplementary route award. It will also test this with the expanded version of the Expert Group which will include additional clinical and legal experts.
UK Government · 21 Jul 2025 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 14 Apr 2026 · Cabinet Office The new Severe Health Condition award for SCM will ensure the Scheme fully recognises the impact of severe psychological harm by giving people in this situation more financial loss and care compensation. This change will mean that the core route awards, the new Severe Health Condition award for SCM, and the existing Severe Health Condition award for Severe Psychiatric Conditions all offer compensation for the range of mental health issues that infected people have suffered. Source →
- 21 Jul 2025 14 April 2026 update: Government response (CP 1565) confirms a new supplementary route for psychological harm: "Following a review of the consultation responses, we will introduce the new SCM proposal and therefore welcome supplementary route applications from those who can show that their circumstances require more financial loss and care compensation for psychological harm." Regulations to implement these changes will be brought forward later in 2026. Sources: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/changes-to-infected-blood-compensation-scheme-will-improve-support-for-victims; https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69ddf5fd7e2086c62da2f152/Government_response_to_consultation_on_proposed_changes_to_the_infected_blood_compensation_scheme__PDF_.pdf Source →
- 15 Jan 2026 · IBCA Community Update As of 13 January 2026: 3,721 people asked to start claims, 3,546 begun process, 3,074 received offers totalling £2.47bn, 2,861 paid totalling £1.89bn. Third compensation regulations in force 31 December 2025. View source → Good Progress
- 28 Oct 2025 · IBCA Independent Review IBCA has contacted 2,215 people to begin compensation claims; 1,934 started process. £812m+ paid via Horizon Shortfall Scheme. £11.8bn committed in Autumn Budget. View source → Reasonable Progress
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.