Infected blood victims to get faster payments, Government says

Infected blood victims are set to get their payments more quickly as the administration and process delays will be reduced, the Government said.

The Victims and Prisoners Act will be used to get records from the Infected Blood Inquiry, and evidence will be used to contribute to assessment of proof of infection, which help some people to prove their eligibility more quickly, the Government said.

And greater commercial risk will be accepted to make compensation payments more quickly, it added.

Another step the Government is taking includes making greater use of manual data records, instead of waiting for automated systems to become available, it said.

More than 30,000 people in the UK were infected with HIV and hepatitis C after they were given contaminated blood and blood products between the 1970s and early 1990s.

And more than 3,000 people have died as a result, while survivors are living with lifelong health implications.

The Infected Blood Inquiry, which published its seminal report a year ago, concluded the scandal “could largely have been avoided” and there was a “pervasive” cover-up to hide the truth.

A compensation scheme was announced the day after the report was published.

The Government said: “Administrative barriers will be unlocked to allow the Infected Blood Compensation Authority to speed up payments to victims to ensure that as many as possible are compensated in their lifetimes.”

The Infected Blood Compensation Authority will also be able to deliver quicker services for those who were infected but not previously registered with a support scheme, the estates of those who died and the affected, according to the Government.

Minister for the Cabinet Office, Nick Thomas-Symonds, said: “The victims of this scandal have suffered unspeakable wrongs and we need to move quickly to ensure that they get the compensation they are owed.

“This is why I have instructed officials to do what is necessary to remove barriers and speed up payments.

“While no amount of money will compensate for the suffering that people have endured, I want to ensure that we’re delivering payments as quickly as possible.”

Meanwhile, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority will work with the Public Sector Fraud Authority to develop “robust measures to limit the risk of fraud”, the Government said.

In a letter sent on Sunday to the chairs of Public Accounts and the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committees, officials have confirmed that the Government is “learning from the approach taken to successfully and quickly deliver financial support during the Covid-19 pandemic”, the Government said.

Published: 06/07/2025 by Radio NewsHub