From today, the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) will be regularly publishing information on its progress in delivering compensation.
As part of its pledge to be transparent while delivering the infected blood compensation scheme, IBCA will publish updates about the number of invites sent, claims processed and offers of compensation made on their website. IBCA will initially publish these updates monthly but will keep this under review.
The latest figures from IBCA, which were published today, show that
- 67 people have been invited to start their compensation claim with IBCA
- 43 people accepted their invitations and submitted their claim
- 11 offers of compensation have been made, totalling £13.4m
- So far 7 people have accepted their offers with more than £6.5m paid in compensation.
David Foley, Interim Chief Executive of the Infected Blood Compensation Authority, said
It’s essential we regularly update on how claims are progressing, as part of our commitment to transparency and ensuring the infected blood community have full sight of our work.
The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) was set up in May 2024 and the first set of regulations allowing us to make payments were laid by the Government in August 2024.
Since then we have been building a claims service so we can make payments as soon as possible. We made the first compensation offers in December and more are being processed all the time, with the help of community members who are providing feedback.
Every single compensation claim is unique with complex circumstances. That is why we have started with a small number of people making the first compensation claims, building and improving the claim service as we go.
It is only by understanding the needs of each person applying for compensation and working with the community that we are able to open our claims service to more and more people.”
How the claims process works
IBCA is working to make the claims process as easy as possible. This process includes
- Initial invites sent via email or post, depending on people’s preferences
- Follow-up call from dedicated claim manager (over the phone, or video call depending on preferences)
- Claim managers discuss the information IBCA already holds with the person making the claim. If any further information is needed, the claim manager can help get this on behalf of the person making the claim, if they agree and where it is available.
- The claim manager and the person claiming agree information is correct in the declaration form (this supports the calculation of the compensation amount)
- Calculation is made, and discussed with the person claiming
- If calculation is agreed, a compensation offer is made.
Throughout this process, the person making the claim is kept up to date on progress.
People have up to three months to decide whether to accept their offer of compensation, once received. For some people, it can be useful to take more time to consider a compensation offer and seek further advice. Feedback from the first people to claim shows that independent legal and financial advice, paid for by IBCA, has been useful.
