- Windrush victim criticizes “reprehensible” compensation scheme, government inaction
- Calls persist to transfer compensation scheme management to independent entity
- Over 7,800 claims submitted, £80.1 million disbursed, but concerns remain
After it came to light that despite having the legal right to reside in the United Kingdom, a significant number of British citizens, primarily from the Caribbean, had been denied healthcare and benefits and threatened with deportation, a compensation scheme was established.
A victim of Windrush has described the compensation scheme for scandal victims as “reprehensible” and speculated that the government was “waiting for those affected to die off.”
Critics have consistently advocated for removing the Home Office’s authority to ascertain and manage payments to victims, arguing that this duty ought to be delegated to an autonomous entity.
Since April 3, 2019, the compensation scheme has been implemented.
It was established a year after it came to light that despite having the legal right to reside in the United Kingdom, many British citizens, primarily from the Caribbean, had been denied access to healthcare and benefits and threatened with deportation.
Despite increasing apprehensions regarding the mortality rate before the receipt of payments, the Home Office has thus far exhibited resistance towards calls for these reforms.
Windrush victim Conroy Downie, age 67, has advised thousands of individuals on how to file compensation claims. However, his case has yet to be resolved entirely.
He told the PA news agency, “It is abhorrent and a complete failure. It appears that they are patiently awaiting our demise.
Jamaican-born, the great-grandfather immigrated to the United Kingdom as an adolescent before enlisting in the military.
Amid the scandal, he was threatened with deportation twice and stated, “The system has failed us.” He further explained that people “still don’t trust the Home Office” was one of the significant issues.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, stated that “many people are still waiting far too long for the restitution they are owed; in the worst cases, over a year; in the most recent figures, “modest improvements” in the scheme’s performance.
The representative stated: “This is unacceptable, especially given that time is not on their side for many of the older applicants,”
It follows a request in the House of Lords last month for victims of the Windrush scandal to receive comparable assistance to those impacted by the Post Office scandal.
As of January 2024, an examination of PA’s most recent Home Office data reveals that 7,862 claims have been submitted.
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At the end of the first month of this year, a cumulative sum of £80.1 million had been disbursed in response to 2,233 claims, or nearly £35,900 on average per claim.
At this juncture, 4,847 claims had been entirely resolved; of these, slightly more than half (52%) were determined to be ineligible for compensation, 36% were extended compensation offers, and the remaining 12% had their claim eligibility denied or withdrawn.
A Home Office spokesperson stated, “We are convinced that transferring the scheme’s operation away from the Home Office would expose vital payments to individuals to a significant risk of delay; the processing of outstanding claims would be significantly disrupted while a new body was established and brought online.”
