Exceptional Loss Evidence
Infected Blood Inquiry · Additional Report on Compensation · Issued 9 July 2025 · Addressed to: UK Government
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
The Cabinet Office consult on whether the evidential requirements for exceptional reduced earnings are likely to prove a barrier to people who have sufficient evidence that their eligibility for such an award could with confidence be established on a balance of probabilities, and if so to consider what if any provision might be introduced to enable them to access an award.
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 the evidential requirements for Exceptional Loss awards through the supplementary route (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 (Consultation: Proposed Changes to the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme, Cabinet Office, November 2025).
- The government stated that it would introduce a £60,000 award for eligible infected people whose infection prevented progression in a higher-than-average-earning career (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 exceptional loss award which is part of the supplementary route provides additional compensation for those infected people who would have received higher pay if it were not for their infection. The Government commits to consult the community on the evidential requirements to access this award to ensure it is available for those intended within the limits of a tariff based scheme.
UK Government · 21 Jul 2025 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 14 Apr 2026 · Cabinet Office More compensation will be available for people who would have had the potential to earn higher than average if it weren’t for the impact of the infection on their life, but who do not have actual evidence of higher earnings. We will introduce a new £60,000 award for infected people who can show that they had entered or had an offer to enter a career where the median gross salary is 10% higher than the gross median earnings in 2023, but who were unable to progress this career due to their infection. Source →
- 21 Jul 2025 14 April 2026 update: Government response (CP 1565) also addresses evidence concerns: "We understand from the consultation that some people are concerned that they will not be able to access this award if they do not have historic payslips. We will work with IBCA to ensure that communications are clear about the broad range of alternative evidence that people could use to show they are eligible for the Exceptional Loss award so that this is not a barrier." December 2025 regulations also removed the minimum earnings threshold for Exceptional Loss applications. 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.