Policy paper

Infected Blood Inquiry Additional Report Government Response

Published 21 July 2025

Executive Summary

The Infected Blood Scandal is an injustice that has spanned across decades on an unprecedented scale: thousands have died, and continue sadly to die every week. Lives have been shattered, and justice denied for decades. No amount of financial compensation can make up for this unprecedented suffering; however, the Government hopes the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme (‘the Scheme’) will bring redress to people who have been impacted by this harrowing scandal.

In August 2024, the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme was established in regulations. These regulations gave the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) the powers to start making ‘core’ compensation payments to infected people, both living and deceased. In March 2025 further regulations expanded the eligibility of the Scheme to include people who are affected and introduced the supplementary compensation routes.

On 9 July 2025, the Infected Blood Inquiry (“the Inquiry”) published its Additional Report on Compensation. The Inquiry made recommendations to the Cabinet Office and to the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA). IBCA is responsible for responding to its recommendations and will be doing so separately.

The Government has considered the Inquiry’s report and has listened carefully to the evidence that the infected blood community has given to the Inquiry. As a result of this the Minister for the Cabinet Office set out to Parliament on 21 July 2025 the changes that will be made to the scheme.

The report provided recommendations across nine key areas making 26 individual recommendations in total. 15 of these recommendations focus on the design of the scheme. The Government is immediately accepting seven of these recommendations. The Government’s priority is making these changes as quickly as possible to ensure people can receive the full amount of compensation they are entitled to. In some cases further legislation will need to be implemented to make these changes. The Government aims to have this legislation in force by the end of 2025.

The other recommendations, as have been suggested by the Inquiry, will be subject to consultation, after which the Government will confirm its final response, taking into account the community’s views. Building on the engagement that was undertaken by Sir Robert Francis last year and the changes that have already been made, the Government understands that more must be done to ensure the community is engaged on future changes to the scheme. Further legislation will then be required to implement the outcome of the consultation.

The Government will also be making further interim payments of £210,000 to the estates of the deceased infected previously registered with an IBSS or AHO, on or before 17 April 2024.

This document provides a short summary of planned changes to the Scheme as a result of the further recommendations made in the Additional Report on Compensation.

Background

On Wednesday 9 July 2025 the Infected Blood Inquiry published its Additional Report on Compensation with recommendations for the Government on the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme. The Report explores how the scheme was designed, the structure of compensation awards and the approach to the scheme’s delivery.

The Government is committed to providing fair compensation to victims of the infected blood scandal and the Inquiry has recognised this, saying that ‘there can be no doubt that the Government has done right in ways which powerfully signal its intent’. However, the Government acknowledges Sir Brian Langstaff’s statement that ‘there is still more to be done to ensure that the detail and operation of the scheme matches up to its intent’.

The report provided recommendations across nine key areas making 26 individual recommendations in total. 15 of these recommendations focus on the design of the scheme. The remaining 11 focus on IBCA delivery. Further detail on these will be set out by IBCA in due course.

The Government has responded to the recommendations by either accepting now, accepting the need to change and will consult on a way forward, and agreeing to consult.

Inquiry recommendations the Government is accepting now

The Government has accepted seven of the Inquiry’s recommendations about the design of the scheme for immediate implementation. The Government’s priority is implementing these changes with the minimum possible delay to ensure the community understands what these changes will mean for them. Some of these changes require further legislation which the Government will aim to bring forward before the end of 2025.

Transparency of scheme design (Recommendation 2e)

The Inquiry was clear that there is a need for greater transparency, involvement and listening with the community in remedying injustice by the state. The Government accepts that, together with IBCA, it makes available a mechanism which will allow people and organisations to raise concerns about any aspect which is concerning them about the compensation scheme and its delivery. The Cabinet Office and IBCA are currently working on proposals and once a mechanism has been established will seek feedback on its operation and will engage with the Community to make sure that it works as effectively as possible.

HIV Start Dates (Recommendation 3a)

In his oral evidence to the Inquiry, the Minister for the Cabinet Office agreed to look again at the Scheme’s eligibility criteria for people infected with HIV. The Inquiry went on to recommend that the scheme should be open to those who were infected with HIV before 1982. The Government commits to amend the scheme to remove the 1982 start date, meaning anyone infected with HIV because of treatment with infected blood or blood products will be eligible for compensation, irrespective of the year they were infected.

Whilst there will be no start date for eligibility to the scheme, the financial loss award requires a date of first possible infection (for instances where a specific date cannot be identified). In these cases the date will mirror the start date for Hepatitis which is 1952. The Inquiry’s Report noted that doing this was ‘unlikely to give rise to any injustice’.

Effective Treatment (Recommendation 4c)

The Government acknowledges the concerns raised by the Inquiry regarding the calculation of financial loss awards for individuals with Hepatitis B or C. Currently the amount awarded is determined partially by reference to the introduction of effective treatments and the possibility of returning to employment following these treatments.

The Government has accepted the Inquiry’s recommendation that the scheme should offer a route through which individuals can show that they were unable to return to work, or unable to work at the assumed level, even after the introduction of effective treatments. The Government will remove the earnings floor on the supplementary route Exceptional Loss award for financial loss to make sure that a route is available for infected persons to do this.

Deeming of severity bands (Recommendation 4d)

The Government acknowledges the concerns that the Inquiry has set out regarding the mechanism for determining the number of years a person with hepatitis was likely to have spent at particular severity bands when there is an absence of evidence.

The Government will amend the regulations so that those who were diagnosed with a level 4 hepatitis infection, but are unable to evidence disease progression before that point, will be deemed to have spent up to six years prior to this with a level 3 infection and be compensated accordingly.

Evidence of date of diagnosis (Recommendation 4e)

In order to aid processing of claims quicker, the Government has accepted the Inquiry’s recommendation to remove the requirement for people with Hepatitis B or C to evidence their date of diagnosis with those infections when they apply to the scheme.

Affected Estates (Recommendation 8b)

In his oral evidence to the Inquiry, the Minister for the Cabinet Office agreed to look again at how the Scheme compensates the estates of affected people.

The Inquiry originally recommended that it was beyond the scope of the scheme for the estate of an affected person to inherit their claim. However, the Inquiry has now said this should be possible, and the Government has accepted this recommendation. An estate will be eligible to claim compensation where an affected person passed away after 21 May 2024. The Inquiry recommended this right should extend to 31 December 2029. The Government proposes to continue it until 31 March 2031.

Bereaved Partner Support Scheme Payments (Recommendation 9a)

In his oral evidence to the Inquiry, the Minister for the Cabinet Office agreed to look again at the 31 March 2025 ‘cut-off’ date for bereaved partners to join an Infected Blood Support Scheme.

The Government has accepted the Inquiry’s recommendation that partners bereaved after 1 April 2025 whose partner has not already received compensation from the scheme while alive should be able to join an Infected Blood Support Scheme and get Support Scheme payments until they receive their own compensation payment. They will continue to receive Support Scheme payments for life, should they choose to do so.

Inquiry recommendations on which the Government has accepted the need for change and will consult on a way forward

The Government has considered the evidence provided and recommendations published in the Inquiry’s report. It accepts the need for changes to the compensation scheme in the following areas and proposes to consult the community on the best way forward. Further information on the details of the consultation will be provided as soon as possible.

Impacts of Interferon (Recommendation 4a)

The impact of interferon treatment on those infected with Hepatitis B or C often resulted in severe side effects, both psychological and physical. The Inquiry recommended that more be done to recognise the impact of interferon in the scheme.

The Inquiry proposed that interferon could be better recognised by moving all those who received it to the equivalent of Cirrhosis Level 3 band. Alternatively the Inquiry suggested the Government could introduce a new infection severity band, between Level 2 (Chronic) and Level 3 (Cirrhosis). The Government proposes to introduce a new core route infection severity band for those who received interferon treatment, to be referred to as Level 2B. The Government will consult on the proposed awards for Level 2B to ensure these properly reflect the impacts of interferon treatment.

The Special Category Mechanism and equivalents (Recommendation 4b)

In his oral evidence to the Inquiry, the Minister for the Cabinet Office agreed to look again at how the Scheme reflects the existing Special Category Mechanism and its equivalents.

The England Infected Blood Support Scheme (EIBSS) includes a payment category for those with chronic Hepatitis C where beneficiaries have experienced a significant impact on their ability to carry out daily duties as a result of their infection or treatment: this is referred to as Special Category Mechanism (SCM). Equivalent payment categories are also provided under the other national support schemes.

The Government acknowledges the level of community concern raised during the Inquiry regarding how the Scheme considers the impacts captured by SCM. The Government accepts that a change must be made to the scheme in terms of recognition of SCM impacts. The Government has accepted the Inquiry’s recommendation that the Severe Health Condition award should recognise impacts associated with SCM. Current IBSS beneficiaries will be automatically eligible for the award. The Government will consult on how eligibility should be established for non IBSS applicants.

Financial loss and care (Recommendation 6a)

The Inquiry has raised concerns regarding the calculation of past care and financial loss awards for those who choose to continue receiving support scheme payments.

The Inquiry has recommended that a formula in the regulations be changed to address its concerns. However, the Inquiry’s recommended change would only change the calculation of past care, and not past financial loss. The Inquiry has recommended removing the 25% discount for living claimants who choose to receive support scheme payments. However removing the discount for this group only would lead to differences of treatment between the living and the deceased in respect of past care. The Government accepts the need for a change to the scheme in this area but for these reasons plans to consult on what would be the most appropriate set of changes to make.

Severe Health Condition Award - Severe Psychological Harm (Recommendation 5a)

The Government accepts more needs to be done to test with the community the severity level and evidential requirements for those applying with severe psychological harm under the severe health condition award. The Government has committed to consult on the evidence requirements and the threshold for a supplementary route award. It will also test this with the expanded version of the Expert Group which will include additional clinical and legal experts.

Additional autonomy award for victims of unethical research (Recommendation 7a-c)

The issue of unethical research is one of the most shocking areas of this scandal. In his oral evidence to the Inquiry, the Minister for the Cabinet Office agreed to look again at how the Scheme compensates victims of unethical research.

As the Inquiry recommended, the Government will look to consult on the best way forward to provide an award that requires minimal evidence, minimises delays, and ensures consistency across awarding criteria.

Inquiry recommendations where the Government has agreed to consult

The Government has agreed to consult further on changes it might make to the scheme where this was recommended by the Inquiry.

Supplementary route - Exceptional loss award (Recommendation 6b)

The exceptional loss award which is part of the supplementary route provides additional compensation for those infected people who would have received higher pay if it were not for their infection. The Government commits to consult the community on the evidential requirements to access this award to ensure it is available for those intended within the limits of a tariff based scheme.

Supplementary route - Affected persons (Recommendation 8a)

In his oral evidence to the Inquiry, the Minister for the Cabinet Office agreed to look again at how the Scheme compensates affected people through a supplementary route.

The Government has accepted the Inquiry’s recommendation to consult on whether it is feasible to implement a supplementary route for additional compensation for affected people who suffered the severest harms. The Government will consult with parents, children, siblings, partners and carers, and their legal representatives if wished, on whether it is possible to implement a supplementary route for the affected based on severe psychological harm, as the Inquiry has suggested, without causing significant delay to the process of compensation as a whole.

Interim Payments to Estates

In addition to responding to the Inquiry’s recommendations, the Government intends to make a further interim payment of £210,000 to the estates of infected persons who were registered with an infected blood support scheme or predecessor scheme (on or before 17 April 2024), and have sadly passed away. This is in addition to the interim payment of £100,000 which opened for applications in October 2024. Further information will be set out in due course on gov.uk