Tiered Redress Scheme

The Inquiry recommends that the UK government establishes a single redress scheme in England and Wales, taking into account devolved responsibilities. The detailed rules of, and funding for, this redress scheme should reflect the following core elements. Eligibility: Victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and exploitation that occurred in England and in Wales should be eligible to apply. Applicants must have experienced child sexual abuse and exploitation where there is a clear connection to State or non-State institutions in England and Wales. The scheme should be open to any victim of child sexual abuse that took place prior to its establishment. The scheme should deduct any previous award from any payment under the scheme. Applicants who have previously brought civil claims which have been rejected by the court should be excluded from applying to the scheme, save where their cases have been rejected due to limitation. Redress provided: The scheme should provide payments to eligible applicants through a two-tier system, based on a fixed flat-rate recognition payment, with the option to apply for a second-tier payment. Process: The application process must be accessible and straightforward, and be sensitive to the needs and vulnerabilities of victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. There should be special provisions to accelerate awards for older or terminally ill applicants. Duration: The scheme should run for five years. Funding: The scheme should be funded by central and local government, in accordance with devolved funding principles, with voluntary contributions sought from non-State institutions.