Public Inquiry

Registration opens for interim compensation for estates

Written by Jessica Bomford, October 24, 2024

Registration has opened for an interim payment of £100,000 for bereaved families who have so far not received any compensation.

The government has announced that this compensation payment will be made by the UK’s existing infected blood support schemes. They aim to decide on the majority of claims within 30 working days of receipt.

Eligibility

You are only able to apply for an interim compensation payment if:

You are the personal representative – or acting on behalf of the personal representative – of a deceased person who was registered with one of the UK’s infected blood support schemes or Alliance House Organisations, such as the Skipton Fund or the Macfarlane Trust, on or before 17 April 2024 and;
The infected person, their bereaved partner or their estate, has not already received a previous interim payment.

The interim payment has to be distributed by the person applying on behalf of the estate, in accordance with the deceased person’s will or, where someone has died without making a will, the laws of intestacy.

If the deceased infected person was not registered with a previous or existing support scheme the estate is not eligible for an interim payment. Estates that fall into this category may well be eligible for compensation from the Infected Blood Compensation Authority in due course.

How to claim

The interim payments will be made by the infected blood support schemes in England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. To apply, use this application form. Completed application forms, alongside evidence documents, should be returned by post to the support scheme in the country where the deceased person was infected. Contact details of all the schemes are here.

Claims can only be made by post. Certified copies of documents will be accepted, meaning a copy has to be signed by a professional person, such as a solicitor or a teacher. Details of how to get a document certified are here.

Proof of eligibility

You will need to prove that you are the bereaved person’s personal representative, or acting on their behalf. This can be a grant of probate, letters of administration or a grant of confirmation (in Scotland). The government has provided guidance on how to apply for these documents.

Legal advice and costs

It will be possible to claim back the legal fees incurred in applying for letters of administration, probate or confirmation up to a maximum of £1,500, if your compensation claim is successful. Further guidance on what fees can be claimed back is here.

The government advises using this tool to find a reputable legal firm to help you.

How long will it take to receive a payment?

The infected blood support schemes aim to provide a decision within 30 working days from the date of receipt of the application. However, processing may take longer if additional information is needed. If this happens, you will be notified. Application decisions may also take longer if you have provided a grant of confirmation (rather than a grant of probate).

What about full compensation payments for the infected and affected?

These payments will be administered by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority which has yet to publish a timeline for payments. It has said that it expects to make its first payments before the end of 2024, but we await more details.