Overhauled Windrush Compensation Scheme offers over £8 million

29 Jan 2021 12:24 PM

Since overhaul of the scheme in December 2020, early figures show an extra £4.5 million has now been offered.

The Windrush Compensation Scheme has now offered or paid more than £8 million – with more than half of that offered in the past six weeks since Home Secretary Priti Patel overhauled the scheme.

Last month the Home Secretary implemented significant changes to the Windrush Compensation Scheme, increasing the minimum award under the Impact on Life category to £10,000.

Provisional figures released today show that since 15 December 2020, a further 238 offers have been made worth more than £4.5 million. Up until the end of November 2020, the scheme had paid or offered £3.7 million.

The changes were made in close consultation with members of the Windrush generation, community leaders, stakeholders and the Cross-Government Windrush Working Group co-chaired by Bishop Derek Webley.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

I am really pleased the changes we introduced to the scheme are having immediate impact, with more people receiving significantly higher payments, much more quickly.

The figures today show real progress and we must now keep up that momentum to help many more people get the compensation they deserve.

Bishop Derek Webley said:

Although it is early days, the impact of the changes made to the Compensation Scheme are starting to show. It is another step forward on our collective journey to acknowledge, support and improve the lives of those who were impacted by the Windrush scandal.

The new minimum award of £10,000 made in the Impact on Life category will be paid as a new early preliminary payment, as soon as someone applying on their own behalf or on behalf of a deceased relative, can show any impact on their life under the terms of the scheme. They do not need to wait for their whole application to be assessed.

Other changes announced last month include:

maximum payment through Impact on Life category increases from £10,000 to £100,000 or higher in exceptional circumstances
changes to the rules in the Loss of Access to Employment category, including removing the 12-month cap on payments in all circumstances
£500,000 fund for community groups to raise awareness of the Windrush Compensation Scheme and Windrush Scheme.