Second interim compensation payment to estates will open in October

Written by Jessica Bomford, September 26, 2025

Applications will open on 23 October 2025 for an interim compensation payment of £210,000 to the estates of people who died as a result of infection with contaminated blood products.

This is in addition to an interim payment of £100,000, announced in October last year, to the estate of someone who died who had not so far received any compensation. The government has announced that there will be a quicker application process for people who successfully applied for this payment.

This is an interim payment which means it will be deducted from the final settlement amount due to the estate of the person who has died. The government has produced a factsheet about this payment.

An interim compensation payment of £100,000 has already been paid to bereaved partners registered on a UK infected blood support scheme.

Draft regulations to be laid

The government is also expected to lay draft regulations in Parliament this autumn which will allow changes to be made to the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme, such as removing the need for a date of diagnosis for hepatitis B and C, allowing claims on behalf of the estates of affected people who died after 21 May 24 and changing the proof needed for eligibility for the exceptional financial loss award. These changes are the result of the Infected Blood Inquiry’s Additional Report on compensation which was published in July 2025.

Consultation on other compensation changes

Consultation with the infected blood community on other proposed changes will begin in October and finalised in early 2026. Topics will include how a new payment category for people treated with interferon for hepatitis C infection will work and what proof should be needed to demonstrate psychological damage.

Who’s eligible for the new £210,000 interim payment?

For an estate to be eligible, the person who died must have been registered with a UK support scheme on or before 17 April 2024.

If an estate interim payment of £100,000 has already been made

Provided probate details have not changed and payment will be made to the same person, there will a shorter and quicker application process. More details are expected soon.

If you have never previously applied for an estate interim payment

You will need to complete a full application form, which will be published once applications open on 23 October. If you have not previously received an estate interim payment, you may be eligible for interim payments of up to £310,000. However, if a payment of £100,000 has already been made to the bereaved partner of the deceased then the estate will be able to claim £210,000 of interim compensation.

To apply, you’ll need:

  • A certified copy of the Grant of Probate, Letter of Administration or Grant of Confirmation (in Scotland)
  • To show proof of your identity (passport or driving license). If you don’t have those documents contact the relevant UK support scheme for help
  • Two documents proving your address, issued in the last six months.

If you received £100,000 as a bereaved partner

If you received the £100,000 interim payment as a bereaved partner and you are also the estate representative you will have to apply for the £210,000 following the process above. You did not need to produce any documentation previously, but this is not the case now.

Only an estate representative, such as an executor or the person who applied for a Letter of Administration if no will was left, can apply for this £210,000 interim estates compensation payment. If you, the bereaved partner, are not an estate representative you are not eligible for this payment but you may be eligible for compensation as an ‘affected’ person at a later date.

How to apply for probate or a letter of administration

The Haemophilia Society has produced a guide here, which we hope will be useful. The government has also provided this information.

Who’s handling interim compensation applications?

The second interim compensation payment to estates is being handled by the infected blood support schemes in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. In England it is being administered by the England Infected Blood Interim Estates Payment Scheme. This payment does not involve the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA).

Contact details for the schemes are:

England Infected Blood Interim Estates Payment Scheme
[email protected] or telephone: 0300 330 1014
Infected Blood Payment Scheme for Northern Ireland
[email protected] or telephone: 028 9536 3817
Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme
[email protected] or telephone: 0131 2756754
Wales Infected Blood Support Scheme
[email protected] or telephone: 02921 500 900

Legal costs

You are entitled to claim back legal costs of up to £1500, but this is capped across both interim estate payment applications. For example, if you claimed £1500 for legal support you received when applying for the first £100,000 interim payment, you will not be able to claim back any additional legal costs that the £210,000 application incurs.