Government told financial loss calculations are unfair

Written by Sam Wilson, February 5, 2026

The Haemophilia Society and other groups have signed a letter to the government and Infected Blood Inquiry chair, Sir Brian Langstaff, which highlights large disparities in payments to infected people, depending on whether they died before or after the compensation scheme was set up and acceptance of an offer of compensation by IBCA.

The letter, which is co-written by Sam Richards a Chartered Financial Planner from Factor Financial Planning and Ami Jai Presly and Andrew Presly, whose family is affected by this issue, is also signed by the Hepatitis C Trust, Haemophilia Wales and Haemophilia Northern Ireland. The full letter is here.

A key issue raised in the letter is the payment of financial loss as part of a deceased infected person’s compensation settlement. If an infected person died after the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme offer is accepted (from 31 March 2025), financial loss is paid from the age of infection to healthy life expectancy of 86 years either as part of their core lump sum or as a payment to their estate on death. However, if an infected person died before the scheme was set up or , they are paid financial loss from infection to the date of death. This will result in large disparities in payments – with many expected to come to light when the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) opens compensation claims to estates.

The letter says: ‘Infected victims are being financially penalised by the current compensation
framework for dying before the government finally heeded calls to address this national
treatment disaster.’

It adds that it is ‘misleading’ to claim that future financial loss from the point of death until healthy life expectancy is paid to their dependents. The letter points out that where there are eligible dependents, the tariffs used are materially lower, which means future financial loss in respect of these individuals is only partially paid or not paid at all.

Kate Burt, Chief Executive of the Haemophilia Society, said: ‘Unless urgent changes are made, the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme is in danger of failing a significant proportion of bereaved families. Compensation should value equally the lives of those infected, regardless of whether they survived to make a claim themselves or died before the scheme was set up.’

The letter urges the government to action an urgent policy amendment in respect of estates of infected persons who died as an adult or as a child prior to the start of the compensation scheme so that financial loss is calculated to the end date of healthy life expectancy rather than date of death.

If you have any comments or questions on this issue, please email [email protected]

This story has been featured today in The Times – article can be found here (subscription required).