Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Windrush Compensation Scheme

Monday 7 June 2021 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • In December, the Windrush compensation scheme was overhauled to pay people more money more quickly.
  • We have now offered almost 30 million in compensation, of which 20.4 million has been paid.
  • The scheme has been fundamentally changed with more caseworkers than ever before.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Kate Osamor Labour (Co-op) Edmonton and Winchmore Hill
NHS
Context

The Windrush compensation scheme is designed to help those affected by the Windrush scandal. The question arises from concerns about the pace of disbursements.

Question

What progress has her Department made on disbursing payments through the Windrush compensation scheme?

Answer from Priti Patel

In December, I overhauled the Windrush compensation scheme to pay people more money more quickly; that has now taken place. We have now paid six times more than the total amount paid previously. That means that we have offered almost £30 million in compensation, of which £20.4 million has been paid to approximately 687 claimants.

Answered
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Q2 Matt Western Lab Warwick and Leamington
Immigration NHS
Context

The National Audit Office report highlighted inefficiencies in the Windrush compensation scheme, with only 4% of eligible individuals receiving payments. The question addresses concerns about caseworker numbers.

Question

I heard what the Secretary of State said, but the recent National Audit Office report into the Windrush compensation scheme that was published on 21 May stated that just 4% of the 15,000 people who may be eligible for the scheme had received payments—way below the numbers forecast and a small fraction of the total expected payout. Given that the process takes an extraordinary 15 steps and an average of 154 staff hours, will the Secretary of State detail how many full-time caseworkers are dealing with the compensation scheme, and how many caseworkers she estimates are required to expedite this scheme in the next two years?

Answer from Priti Patel

First, it is important to reflect on how the scheme has fundamentally changed since December. I have already highlighted the levels of payment and the speed at which the claims are being dealt with. We have overhauled the team; we have more caseworkers than ever.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Number of full-time caseworkers and required estimates for the next two years were not specified.

How: Overhauled The Team

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Q3 Kate Osamor Labour (Co-op) Edmonton and Winchmore Hill
Immigration Standards & Ethics
Context

A constituent of Kate Osamor's, Anthony Bryan, won a BAFTA for his drama about being affected by the Windrush scandal. He received an offer of compensation 18 months after making his claim.

Question

'Sitting in Limbo'—a drama about my constituent Anthony Bryan, who had his life turned upside down by the Windrush scandal—won a BAFTA yesterday. At the time of its release, the Home Secretary rushed to meet Anthony and told him that he would be given a voice. Yet it was not until two days ago—18 months after he made his claim—that Anthony finally received an offer of compensation. Will the Home Secretary tell us how long the hundreds of others like Anthony will have to remain in limbo before the Home Office gets its act together?

Answer from Priti Patel

If the hon. Lady heard my earlier remarks, she will have heard that fundamental reform of the Windrush compensation scheme has taken place. Due to the changes that I have put in place, it now takes an average of three weeks from receipt of an acceptance to payment.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific timelines for compensating other individuals were not provided.

How: Fundamental Reform

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