Compensation
On 21 May 2024 the government accepted recommendations made by the Infected Blood Inquiry that compensation should be paid to people infected and affected by the contaminated blood scandal.
The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) has been set up to administer compensation, based on a scheme proposed by the government and approved in Parliament.
IBCA made its first compensation payments to surviving infected people in December 2024 and is continuing to make payments to this group. It will progress to payments to estates of infected people who have died, followed by ‘affected’ claims, to people who were related to or cared for someone who was infected. You cannot apply for compensation, at this stage. You will be contacted by IBCA and asked to begin your claim. IBCA publishes regular updates about how many compensation claims are being processed on its website.
Interim compensation has been paid to some of the infected and affected. So far, £310,000 in interim compensation payments have been made to the surviving infected and £100,000 to bereaved partners. In October 2024 applications opened for a £100,000 interim compensation payment for bereaved families who have so far received no financial recognition.
We have received many emails and phone calls asking for help in understanding what this scheme means. There are still some unanswered questions about how the scheme will work and we understand that this is a very difficult and stressful time for people who believe they are entitled to compensation.
We’ve put together what we know about the scheme and made clear what still needs to be clarified. This document, which is for people with inherited bleeding disorders and their families, will be updated as and when we get more answers.
Frequently asked questions about compensation
How much compensation will I receive?
The Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) has made a calculator to help work out core route payments.
Getting a compensation payment – how will it work?
Are you registered on a UK support scheme (England Infected Blood Support Scheme, Wales Infected Blood Support Scheme, Scottish Infected Blood Support Scheme or the Infected Blood Payment Scheme for Northern Ireland)? Please note, as of 1 April 2025, these schemes are closed to new applicants.
If yes:
You’ll be infected or a bereaved partner.
What do I do now?
Nothing. You are in the system and will have already received at least one interim compensation payment. Your compensation settlement will be administered by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority. Further evidence may be required, depending on your individual circumstances. The information which is currently held about you by the support schemes will be transferred to IBCA.
You will be contacted by IBCA with information about your compensation claim. It is not necessary to reapply. IBCA began making payments to surviving infected people registered on a support scheme in December 2024.
If no:
You:
- have a relative who was infected who has died
- have had acute hepatitis C or chronic hepatitis B
- have a living relative who was infected.
If you have a relative who has died
What do I do now?
You can gather information to help prove that your relative was registered on a previous support scheme, such as the Skipton Fund, the Macfarlane Trust, the Caxton Fund or the Eileen Trust. These are known as the ‘Alliance House’ organisations. These historic documents were previously held by the solicitors Russell-Cooke but on 14 October 2024 the data was transferred to IBCA. You can apply for your relatives’ documents by emailing [email protected]. Contact details of all the UK’s current schemes are here, but we’d advise you to make contact with IBCA in the first instance. IBCA’s general contact email is [email protected].
If you believe your loved one was registered on these schemes but are not sure if the information is held by IBSS schemes, check directly with the scheme. Please ensure that the support schemes have your current details.
If there is no information held on your loved one you will need to find medical records. Contact NHS trusts where treatment took place as well as GPs. IBCA has permission to access information on the National Haemophilia Database so you should not need to apply separately for this data as it will automatically be considered as part of your application.
Interim compensation for bereaved families
You can apply for an interim compensation payment of £100,000 made to the estates of deceased infected people where no compensation has yet been received by any family members. Please note that if an interim compensation payment has already been awarded to a bereaved partner, for example, there will be no further interim compensation payment made to the estate.
The payment will be handled in England by a new service called the Infected Blood Interim Compensation Payment Scheme, which is connected to the infected blood support scheme. The existing support schemes in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland will administer interim compensation in those countries. The person applying for the payment will need to have a Grant of Probate, confirmation (for claims in Scotland) or a Letter of Administration to begin the claim. Full details of how to apply are here.
We have produced separate guidance on obtaining a Grant of Probate or Letter of Administration here.
Families whose relatives were not supported by previous or current schemes are not eligible for the interim compensation payment. They can apply for full compensation through the Infected Blood Compensation Authority in due course.
You have acute hepatitis C or chronic hepatitis B
What do I do now?
Your infections are recognised by the compensation scheme but the application process has not started. We advise you to gather as much evidence about your infection as possible. It is not yet clear what proof will be needed to join the compensation scheme.
You have a living relative who was infected
What do I do now?
Registration has not opened for ‘affected’ people. Under the scheme those affected who are eligible to apply for compensation will be parents, partners, carers, children, stepchildren and siblings. Until we know what proof you need to show to qualify for compensation there is no action to take.
Estates
What does the compensation scheme mean when it talks about an ‘estate’?
This is what is due to a person who was infected and has died. Compensation paid to this person will be defined as their estate. If they left a will, the compensation will be divided as directed by the instructions in the will. The process will be overseen by the executor of the will, who is referred to by the scheme as the ‘personal representative’. This person may apply for compensation on behalf of the deceased infected person.
Please explain probate or confirmation
When an adult dies, their assets, such as property and financial affairs must be settled. This process of administering the estate is called probate in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or confirmation in Scotland. Probate or confirmation is a legal document that is sometimes needed to access bank accounts or other official documents.
What happens if there is no will?
If someone has died without a will, this is known as dying ‘intestate’. In this situation the compensation will be paid to the deceased legal next of kin, as defined by the government. https://www.gov.uk/inherits-someone-dies-without-will
To claim compensation, probate without a will is needed so an application must be made to the court before the legal administration of the estate can begin. The person responsible for administering the estate is called the administrator, and they need to apply for a document called a Grant of Letters of Administration.
What if the person who died was a child?
The compensation sum would be payable to the child’s parents or legal guardians.
How do we find out if the deceased left a will?
There is a National Wills Register, but this will only show wills where probate has been granted. Sometimes wills were left with local solicitors which could still be worth trying.
Support schemes and compensation
The compensation scheme offers people currently registered on a UK infected blood support scheme the chance to continue payments or to take everything as a lump sum. There are a number of things to consider when weighing up what to do.
I’m infected and on a support scheme. What are my options?
You can continue to receive your annual payments for the remainder of your life which will increase in line with the Consumer Price Index. Although your regular payments will remain broadly the same, you will receive a smaller compensation lump sum. This is because your future financial loss award and future care awards are incorporated into your support payments. The lump sum is payable immediately or over 5,10 and 25 years, depending on your preference.
When you receive notification of your settlement from IBCA it will include both options with a breakdown of how each figure was calculated. It is very important that you look at the short-term and long-term implications of each option before deciding what is best for you and your family.
If I select a lump sum, can I rejoin the support schemes in the future?
No.
If I select a lump sum and die, will my partner get payments from a support scheme?
This has not been clearly set out, but we do not think bereaved partners would be eligible to rejoin the support schemes in this scenario.
I’m a bereaved partner, what are my options?
You will continue to receive support payments for life, if you choose to do so. The lump sum you receive will depend on whether you are the beneficiary of the deceased person’s estate. You will be able to make an individual claim as an affected person.
What does core route mean?
All successful claimants will have a core element as part of their compensation payout. This is based on five categories of award which are:
- Injury
- Social Impact
- Autonomy
- Care
- Financial Loss
You can see the proposed financial awards here
Supplementary route
This is a potential avenue to increase autonomy, financial loss and care awards. You can read full details of eligibility here.
*Update* In July 2025 the Infected Blood Inquiry made a series of recommendations about the supplementary awards. The government has agreed to consult the infected blood community on these, which is likely to take until early 2026. Changes are going to be considered on some of the categories below.
Who’s eligible for supplementary awards?
There are five main areas:
- People who can demonstrate that the financial awards do not reflect the earnings lost due to infection.
- Those who can show that the care needs were above what was set out in their core award.
- Claimants who fit into the category called health impact groups. There is a list of health conditions associated with HIV or hepatitis C infections which qualify the applicant for an additional payment. We had been told this would include people who have the Special Category Mechanism (SCM) or equivalent as recognised by the UK infected blood support schemes, but this is not currently the case.
- People with bleeding disorders who were involved in illegal or unethical trials.
- Severe psychological impact requiring hospital treatment.
How do I prove I’m eligible for the supplementary awards?
For loss of earnings, you will need evidence of above average earnings and of early medical retirement. There will be a cap on financial loss awards, which has not been specified.
Evidence will also need to be shown for extra care needs as well as associated health conditions. The recognised health conditions linked to either HIV, hepatitis C or hepatitis B infections listed by the scheme are:
- Severe visual impairment
- Neurological disorders resulting in long-term severe physical or mobility disability (e.g. cerebral toxoplasmosis resulting in severe stroke)
- Neurological disorders resulting in long-term severe neurocognitive impairment (e.g. HIV-associated dementia; chronic hepatic encephalopathy related to hepatitis C/B)
- Severe psychiatric disorders (e.g. diagnosed psychiatric disorders requiring inpatient care or prolonged psychiatric treatment under the care of specialist mental health services)
- Other hepatic disorders caused by hepatitis B or hepatitis C resulting in long-term severe disability
- End-stage kidney disease requiring renal replacement therapy
How do I prove infection date?
The scheme currently bases some calculations on the ‘date of infection’. This should not be confused with the date of the first test. We are currently tying to establish clarification from IBCA on how the date of infection can be established and what proof is required.
In the absence of absolute proof, we believe it is reasonable that the date should be taken from the first treatment with a pooled factor product, including cryoprecipitate.
Multiple claims
Some people will be entitled to make more than one claim. For example, someone infected may also be affected if another family member was infected. In other cases, people may have more than one affected claim if multiple family members were infected.
In those cases, people will have a primary award as an affected or infected person. Then if they make further claims as an affected person then additional injury awards will be paid (and additional financial loss in some circumstances), but they won’t get multiple autonomy or social impact awards.
Inheritance tax and benefits
Compensation payments will not be subject to tax and will not be considered when calculating if someone is eligible for state benefits. If you receive benefits, the England Infected Blood Support Scheme has produced this guidance about who to inform to ensure your payments are not stopped.
However, if a compensation payment is invested, the interest from that investment would be taxed. What remains after tax is considered to be ‘capital’.
Interest will be treated as an increase in savings which would need to be declared to the benefits office, once this goes over £6,000 it can start to impact means-tested benefits.
There are certain investments which accrue growth and interest within the wrapper of the investment and therefore probably wouldn’t need to be declared, but we’d recommend you seek guidance from a trusted financial adviser about this.
What happens in the event of death?
If an eligible infected person dies after accepting their offer of compensation but before receiving their payment, their compensation award will be paid to the personal representative of their estate.
If an eligible infected person dies before accepting their offer of compensation, their personal representatives will need to start a new application – IBCA will use evidence which supported the original application so that it does not have to be provided again.
If an eligible infected person is in receipt of regular support payments and/or compensation payment instalments at the time of their death, their support payments will stop and the outstanding balance of their total compensation award will be paid to the personal representative of their estate.
The rules were different for affected persons, but following an intervention from the Infected Blood Inquiry in 2025 there has been a change of guidance. Now, the estates of affected people who died between 21 May 2024 and 31 March 2031 are eligible for compensation.
What happens if my condition deteriorates?
The scheme is clear that a reassessment following a health deterioration will be possible at any time, regardless of the time that has passed since a person’s initial assessment.
What happens if extra compensation is awarded after I accept my final settlement?
If any changes are made to the compensation scheme which result in an increase in the final settlement amount IBCA will contact people whose claims have already been paid and the difference will be paid.
Do I need a legal representative?
Everyone is entitled to free independent legal support which will be offered by your IBCA claims manager when they explain the compensation process. The legal firms which provide this service have been involved in the Infected Blood Inquiry and understand the issues well. Their role is to check information and to ensure that all areas in which you might expect to receive compensation are covered.
It is a personal decision as to whether you accept this offer and you do not need a legal representative to apply for compensation.
However, if you choose to challenge the settlement in the courts, then you will need to be represented by a lawyer. We urge all our members to be very careful if you are considering hiring a lawyer, if they are not the recognised firms associated with the Infected Blood Inquiry and IBCA. Personal recommendations are always best. There are a lot of firms touting for business who may not have your best interests at heart and may promise compensation amounts which are exaggerated or unsubstantiated.
Do I get free financial support?
Yes. Free, independent financial advice is offered to everyone when applying for compensation through IBCA. The financial advisers offer expert advice about how to manage compensation payments.
What happens if I disagree with the award?
When you receive your compensation settlement offer from IBCA you will have three months to respond. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome you have the right to a review and the right to an appeal subject to time limits.
In the first instance, there is an internal procedure where you have the right to review your application directly with IBCA before submitting an appeal application. If the outcome of the internal review is not what you wanted, you will be able to appeal the decision through the First-tier Tribunal, administered by HM Courts and Tribunals Service.
Rights to litigation
Accepting compensation does not mean you can’t pursue litigation through the courts. However, any compensation received through the courts would be deducted from money awarded through IBCA’s compensation scheme.
When will I get my compensation?
The first compensation payment to a surviving infected person was made in December 2024 and IBCA says it expects the ‘bulk’ of infected payments to be made by the end of 2027. Sir David Foley, interim Chief Executive of IBCA told the Infected Blood Inquiry in May 2025 that he expected the first compensation payments to ‘affected’ people to be made by the end of December 2025, with the majority of affected payments complete by the end of 2029.