Infected blood payment scheme to start this year

Victims of the infected blood scandal can receive support scheme payments for life, while those who were subjected to unethical research will get up to £15,000 extra under changes to a multibillion-pound compensation plan.

- NINA LLOYD

Some affected people will also be given an increased “social impact” award recognising the consequences of stigma surrounding the disaster.

Support scheme payments – including for bereaved partners – will continue for life as part of the plan, the government said, as it announced it had accepted the “majority” of recommendations from an independent review.

Victims who were used for research without their knowledge will also be eligible for an extra £10,000, with a higher award of £15,000 for those who underwent treatment as children in a notorious case at Lord Mayor’s Treloar’s College.

Infected people – both living and dead – will start receiving payments through the new framework by the end of this year, while for others affected by the scandal, payments will begin in 2025, the Cabinet Office said.

It comes after Sir Robert Francis KC, senior barrister and interim chair of the compensation authority, made 74 proposals to address concerns with the current compensation plans.