Correspondence

IBCA Community Update, 15 January 2026 (HTML)

Published 15 January 2026

Introduction

Hello and welcome to your community update.

In this newsletter we cover:

• The third set of regulations for the compensation scheme
• Latest compensation figures and registration numbers
• An update on IBCA’s community panel and drop-in sessions
• Your feedback
• How we confirm cirrhosis or probable cirrhosis in a person with hepatitis
• Your questions
• Updates from other organisations.

Thank you for your feedback and questions. They help us improve this update.  You can get in touch by emailing ibcaenquiries@ibca.org.uk or on Facebook or X (formerly Twitter).

Third set of regulations for the infected blood compensation scheme

The third set of infected blood compensation regulations came into law at the end of last year. They remove some of the rules about who can claim, and simplify the application process.

The regulations follow recommendations from the July 2025 Infected Blood Inquiry report. The changes include:

• removing the HIV start date where there is evidence of infection before 1982
• removing the minimum earnings threshold for a person to claim the exceptional financial loss award
• changes to the deeming provisions (these determine the number of years a person with Hepatitis was likely to have spent at particular severity bands when there is an absence of evidence) – severity bands are used as part of the calculations to determine the amount of compensation that’s due for a Hepatitis infection
• allowing claims to be made on behalf of the estates of affected people who died between 21 May 2024 and 31 March 2031 removing the date of diagnosis for Hepatitis B and C.

There are also a small number of other changes to improve the administration of the compensation scheme. These changes include being able to switch the way compensation is paid. There is more information about this below.

Now that the regulations have come into force, we need to put them in place for our compensation claim service. For example, we’re updating our ‘register your intent to claim’ service for those claiming on behalf of the estate of a deceased affected person. We’ll let you know once the registration service has been updated so you can register.

We are also reviewing previously paid claims that, if calculated now under the third regulations, would have resulted in more compensation. If we have identified that you are due more compensation, we’ll contact you. You do not need to do anything until we get in touch.

Changing how you receive compensation, including requesting a final lump sum payment

The third regulations mean that, if you get monthly payments, you can now choose to switch to one final lump sum payment instead if you prefer. This applies to payments from IBCA, a support scheme, or both. If you receive payments from both, you can choose to change one or both to a final lump sum payment. Changing how you get paid will not affect any means-tested benefits. Your compensation will still be exempt from Income Tax, Capital Gains and Inheritance Tax.

You can ask IBCA to make a change at any time and you don’t need to contact your support scheme separately. After making your request, you’ll have 21 days to confirm you want to go ahead. For more information about your options, visit our website.

Our latest compensation figures

These are our latest figures as of 13 January 2026.

People we’ve asked to start a claim:

• we’ve asked a total of 3,721 people to start their claim
• of this number, 3,546 have started the claim process.

Compensation offers we’ve made:

• we’ve made offers to 3,074 people
• the total value is £2,466,212,742.88.

People we’ve paid:

• we’ve paid a total of 2,861 people their compensation
• the total paid is £1,887,481,629.12.

If you’re an infected person registered with a support scheme and IBCA hasn’t contacted you to start your claim yet, please get in touch by calling 0141 726 2397, emailing ibcaenquiries@ibca.org.uk, or writing to PO Box 384, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE98 1XY.

Registration numbers for those intending to claim with IBCA

In October last year, we opened a service to register your intent to claim with IBCA. This allows us to contact people as soon as we can start their claim, and be aware of circumstances that may mean their claim should be prioritised (for example where someone is elderly or sadly nearing the end of their life).

Since opening the registration service, 15,805 people have registered. This number counts each registration, not each person. Some people registered more than once for different claim types.

Of this number there have been:

• 977 registrations of intent from a living infected person, or their representative (this does not include those claiming as living with infection and registered with a support scheme, as they should already have been contacted beforehand)
• 308 registrations of intent relating to a living infected and affected person, or their representative
• 2,152 registrations of intent from people acting on behalf of a deceased infected person
• 12,368 registrations of intent from a living affected person, or their representative.

You can register if you are: an infected person, affected person, both an infected and affected person or acting on behalf of a deceased infected person.

People who are infected and registered with a support scheme still need to register intent if they are claiming as an affected person or on behalf of a deceased infected person.

If you have not registered your intent to claim but you think you might be eligible for compensation, please register now on our website.

We will contact you when we are able to  start your claim. You can read more about eligibility and compensation amounts on our website.

We’ve already asked every living infected person who is registered with a support scheme to come forward and start their claim. We know there are a small number of people waiting to hear from us because, for example, they are waiting for a decision from a scheme or their details need to be confirmed.

If you are an infected person registered with a support scheme and haven’t been asked to start your claim, please get in touch.

We know you may have questions about these figures. Please contact us at ibcaenquiries@ibca.org.uk if so, and we‘ll also include common questions in the next community update.

Other IBCA updates

IBCA drop-in sessions

From this month, we are holding a series of drop-in events around the UK in response to community feedback that you would like the opportunity to ask your questions in person. At these events you can meet IBCA staff and ask questions about how we process claims, what types of evidence are needed and how we can support you, although we won’t be able to discuss individual claims in detail.

We’re holding a drop-in session in Glasgow on 20 January. Registration for the event has now closed, but if you missed your chance to register and still want to come, email ibca.engagement@ibca.org.uk.

Upcoming drop-in sessions

Our next event:

• Where: Central Birmingham
• When: February 2026 (we’ll confirm the date soon)

We’re planning more drop-in sessions across the UK in the coming months at the following locations, based on the most popular locations selected in a community survey:

• London
• Manchester
• Belfast
• Liverpool
• Cardiff.

Registration for each drop-in opens four weeks before the event. We’ll keep you updated about future events on our website, social media and in this regular newsletter.

Community advisory panel

We have completed recruitment for our community advisory panel; thank you to everyone who applied. The panel members have lived experience of the infected blood scandal and will provide the IBCA Board with independent, experience-led advice and guidance.

We will share details about the panel members soon (we’re just confirming when all successful applicants can start their roles).

Permanent Chief Executive appointed to IBCA

When we set up IBCA in 2024, we hired staff on temporary contracts. This helped us start paying compensation as quickly as we could. Over the last few months, we have advertised permanent roles. We have now appointed David Foley as our permanent Chief Executive.

The recruitment followed Civil Service Commission principles. This included assessment by a panel of community members and colleagues.

​Following on from the director appointments we shared in November’s community update, we have also appointed Hannah Probert as Interim Director of Strategy and Policy while permanent recruitment for that role continues. Hannah has been with IBCA since September 2024 as Programme Delivery Deputy Director and will now lead our work to strengthen strategy, governance and policy. We’ll keep you updated with the outcome of the permanent recruitment campaign.

Paying compensation swiftly and fairly remains our highest priority. These appointments make sure we have the leadership in place to deliver the compensation claim service.

Feedback we’ve received from community members

IBCA will soon be publishing a report once every three months summarising issues raised by the infected blood community and their representatives. The first report covers the period between October and December 2025.

We put together the themes in this document after looking at:

• our social media messages
• correspondence we receive
• talking with community members
• hearing from community groups and charities
• information provided in community events.

Regular reports like this will be available on our website in the future, and we’ll let you know when the first one is ready (we expect this to be in the next fortnight).

How we confirm cirrhosis or probable cirrhosis in a person with hepatitis

People asked us for more detailed guidance about how we confirm cirrhosis or probable cirrhosis in those with hepatitis. We have published this on our website.

When your claim begins, your claim manager can explain this in more detail, and support you on what information you may need to provide.

Your questions

Why have so few people been asked to start their claim in the last month?

We have now opened the service to the first claims for living infected people who have never been compensated, those claiming on behalf of a deceased infected person, and for those who are affected – and we have started making the first payments to the first people in these groups.

Alongside this, we continue to support claims and make payments for people infected and registered with support schemes. We have now paid most of the people in this group, with some remaining claims taking slightly longer due to their complexity.

For each new group we said we would start with small numbers so we can make changes and improvements as we go based on real experiences, then ask more people to start their claim. This approach, often referred to as Private Beta, helps us build a service that meets the needs of everyone.

These groups of claims have different process and evidence requirements than those in the first group and might take longer at first. This also means the claim service needs some significant additions, including considering probate, and linking affected claims to infected claims. Before starting a claim, we must also check a person’s identity and eligibility, and for estate claims, check their personal representative status.

The number of people we ask to start their claim will increase steadily over time as we work to open the service to more and more people, becoming quicker and more familiar with the process and requirements as we go. As we scale up our service, we will recruit more claim managers to support each and every person making a claim.

Some claims that have already been paid are also being reviewed against the new set of regulations that came into law on 31 December 2025. If the latest regulations mean someone is entitled to more compensation, we’ll contact them.

How many people have you contacted to make claims in each group?

We have opened the service to the first claims for living infected people who have never been compensated, bringing in 60 claims initially. We have also now started with around 15 claims each for deceased infected and affected claims.

Why are you processing claims from multiple groups?

We are now bringing in the first claims from different groups in parallel based on recommendations from the Infected Blood Inquiry.

This means our claim managers will work on claims from all groups.

We are now working through three prioritised lists: living infected people who have never been compensated, people who are claiming on behalf of a deceased infected person, and affected people. Alongside this, we are completing claims for people infected and registered with support schemes.

We’ll prioritise claims based on recommendations from the Infected Blood Inquiry, for example, starting with claims for people nearing the end of their lives. We’ll identify these people via our registration service, so please register your intent to claim if you haven’t already, to make sure we know how to contact you and so that we are aware of any details that may mean we should prioritise your claim.

Updates from other organisations

The government’s public consultation closes on 22 January

The government’s public consultation on proposed changes to the infected blood compensation scheme closes on 22 January. The consultation covers proposed changes to the scheme outlined in the Infected Blood Inquiry’s Additional Report in July 2025.

The government consultation is seeking views on the following seven areas of the Scheme:

1. The ‘Special Category Mechanism’ (SCM)
2. Recognition of severe psychological harm
3. Impacts of interferon
4. Past financial loss and care for those receiving support scheme payments
5. Supplementary route – exceptional loss award
6. Supplementary route – affected people
7. Unethical research awards

The government will use your responses to consider future changes to the scheme. They want to hear from the infected blood community and anyone with an interest in the Inquiry.

For more information and to contribute to the consultation, please visit GOV.UK and respond by the closing date of 22 January.

National service of remembrance at St Paul’s Cathedral

The Infected Blood Memorial Committee is hosting a national service of remembrance at St. Paul’s Cathedral for the infected blood community. This will be on Tuesday 19 May 2026. If you would like to attend, please register with them using this form.

To keep up to date with the Infected Blood Memorial Committee’s work, you can sign up to their mailing list.

Alternative formats

Do you need this newsletter in a different format? We can provide large print, another language, or other formats. Let us know by:

• calling 0141 726 2397
• emailing ibcaenquiries@ibca.org.uk
• writing to PO Box 384, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE98 1XY.

Protecting you from fraud

We’re putting systems in place to prevent, spot, and deal with fraud. If you get a suspicious message or phone call and want to check if it’s really from IBCA, call us on 0141 726 2397 or email fraud@ibca.org.uk.

If you think someone has defrauded you:

• report it online at Action Fraud or call 0300 123 2040
• in Scotland, call the police on 101
• tell your bank straight away.

If you’re worried about fraud, you can find more information on the Stop! Think Fraud website.

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