Home Office recall: Spring 2021

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 23 Mar 2021 Closed: 16 Nov 2021 Parliament page
The Committee will question senior officials at Home Office on current and recurring issues that have arisen in a range of Committee inquiries , including the long-delayed Emergency Services Network, the Windrush Compensation Scheme and wider issues of immigration enforcement, and the almost two decades of failed digital infrastructure projects … Read more
2 Recommendations
15 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
1 Letter
1 Event
Activity timeline 4 events
8 Nov
2021
Report published
27 Jul
2021
Report published
29 Jun
2021
Correspondence
7 Jun
2021
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
7 Jun 2021
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Home Office recall: Spring 2021
Charu Gorasia · Home Office Matthew Rycroft CBE · Home Office Paul Lincoln · Home Office Tom Greig · Home Office
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fourteenth Report - Windrush Compensation Scheme HC 174 27 Jul 2021 17 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
17 results
2 Recommendation Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Windrush Compe…
The scheme design was too complex and made it difficult for victims to engage with.
The scheme design was too complex and made it difficult for victims to engage with. Many of the difficulties suffered by the Windrush generation were due to insufficient documentation, and yet the Department designed a scheme which demands evidence it … Read more
Government Response
The department agrees with the recommendation and has launched a support package for estate claims, published a redesigned claim form and refreshed caseworker guidance, implemented training courses for staff, and introduced performance data resources to measure improvements, with a target implementation date of March 2022.
HM Treasury
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3 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Windrush Compe…
The Department’s planning estimates for the scheme have been completely wrong.
The Department’s planning estimates for the scheme have been completely wrong. When it set up the compensation scheme in April 2019 the Department made a series of key assumptions about how the scheme would work, which have not matched what … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the observation and states that it had already revised the scheme's planning assumptions prior to the report, further reducing the estimate to 4000-6000 claims on July 21, 2021, and has removed the scheme's formal end date.
HM Treasury
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4 Recommendation Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Windrush Compe…
The Department launched the scheme without the caseworkers it required to deliver the complex scheme...
The Department launched the scheme without the caseworkers it required to deliver the complex scheme it designed and has never had the operational capacity it needs, leaving people waiting for decisions. When it launched the scheme, the Department had only … Read more
Government Response
The department agrees and states it has 80 caseworkers, with 34 more expected, and plans a reserve list. It published refreshed caseworker guidance in July 2021 to improve consistency, reduce processing times, and enhance claimant experience.
HM Treasury
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1 Conclusion Acknowledged
Fourteenth Report - Windrush Compe…
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence...
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Home Office (the Department) about the Windrush Compensation Scheme.1
Government Response
The government acknowledges the committee's report and evidence-taking process regarding the Windrush Compensation Scheme, noting that the government's response follows the committee's report publication.
HM Treasury
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5 Conclusion Not Addressed
Fourteenth Report - Windrush Compe…
The National Audit Office report noted that for claims received after March 2020 (the only...
The National Audit Office report noted that for claims received after March 2020 (the only data for which the Department had detailed process data) only 10% (102 claims) had reached payment approval stage. These 102 claims took on average 177 … Read more
Government Response
The government's response is entirely focused on BBC audience decline and does not address the committee's conclusion regarding delays and deaths within the Windrush Compensation Scheme.
HM Treasury
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6 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Windrush Compe…
The Department recognised that its processing of claims was not always quick and that it...
The Department recognised that its processing of claims was not always quick and that it had not yet done enough to reduce the time it takes to process them. It claimed that it now has ‘the right plans in place’ … Read more
Government Response
The department agrees and has already implemented several measures, including publishing a redesigned claim form and refreshed caseworker guidance, and is actively recruiting 34 additional caseworkers between November 2021 and January 2022 to speed up claim processing.
HM Treasury
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7 Conclusion Accepted in Part
Fourteenth Report - Windrush Compe…
The Department expressed confidence that the scheme would be quicker and less demanding thanks to...
The Department expressed confidence that the scheme would be quicker and less demanding thanks to the changes it implemented in December 2020.18 We asked what the Department believed was an acceptable period to process claims and heard that it avoided … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the committee's observation, stating it remains focused on speeding up claim processing by redesigning the claim form, refreshing caseworker guidance, recruiting more caseworkers, and improving evidence gathering. However, it will not report on the previously stated internal stretch target of paying 90% of claims by August 2021.
HM Treasury
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8 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Windrush Compe…
The Department claimed that the scheme was unprecedented, but that it had spoken to ombudsmen...
The Department claimed that the scheme was unprecedented, but that it had spoken to ombudsmen across government in its efforts to design an effective scheme.23 Following the session, the Department wrote to us and described how it drew on the … Read more
Government Response
The department agrees with the committee’s observations and outlines several actions already taken or in progress, including launching support packages, publishing a redesigned claim form and refreshed caseworker guidance, providing staff training, and implementing performance data resources, with a target implementation date of March 2022.
HM Treasury
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9 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Windrush Compe…
The Department asserted that no-one eligible to receive compensation should fail to receive it because...
The Department asserted that no-one eligible to receive compensation should fail to receive it because they could not provide evidence to support their claim.28 The Department claimed it designed the scheme to minimise the amount of evidence required, although the … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the committee's observation and details measures already in place or recently implemented to reduce evidence demands for Windrush Compensation Scheme applicants, including a redesigned claim form, refreshed caseworker guidance, and support packages for representatives.
HM Treasury
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10 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Windrush Compe…
We noted that it has been especially difficult for some types of claimants to see...
We noted that it has been especially difficult for some types of claimants to see progress with their claims.33 The National Audit Office reported that more than one-third of claims on behalf of the estate of someone who has died … Read more
Government Response
The department states it had already launched a package of support, including writing to claimants and publishing GOV.UK guidance, to help those making claims on behalf of deceased relatives obtain necessary legal documentation. It also highlights the redesigned claim form and refreshed caseworker guidance aimed at improving claimant experience.
HM Treasury
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11 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Windrush Compe…
The Department underlined its determination to right the wrongs it has inflicted on the Windrush...
The Department underlined its determination to right the wrongs it has inflicted on the Windrush generation. It stated that this is why getting the compensation scheme right is absolutely essential.37 The Department repeatedly committed to maximising applications to the scheme … Read more
Government Response
The department reiterates its commitment to ensuring all eligible Windrush generation members receive maximum compensation, confirming no cap on payouts or claims. It has also removed the formal end date of the scheme to prevent anyone from being barred from claiming.
HM Treasury
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12 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Windrush Compe…
We asked whether the Department had been too optimistic in setting out its initial assumptions.42...
We asked whether the Department had been too optimistic in setting out its initial assumptions.42 The National Audit Office reported that the Department originally estimated it would pay between £120 and £310 million to an estimated 15,000 claimants.43 In October … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the committee's observation regarding its initial over-optimistic estimates. It confirms the planning assumption for claims was revised to 4000-6000 on 21 July 2021, prior to the report, and explains the methodology, also confirming the scheme has no cap on compensation and no formal end date.
HM Treasury
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13 Conclusion
Fourteenth Report - Windrush Compe…
The Department told us it wanted to ensure all those potentially eligible to apply to...
The Department told us it wanted to ensure all those potentially eligible to apply to the scheme could do so.47 This committee recommended in March 2019 that the Department extend its historical reviews “beyond Caribbean Commonwealth nationals to include other … Read more
HM Treasury
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14 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Windrush Compe…
The Department acknowledged it took longer to process claims than it had expected.54 The National...
The Department acknowledged it took longer to process claims than it had expected.54 The National Audit Office calculated that claims took an average of 154 staff hours to process to payment, five times more than the Department originally estimated.55 The … Read more
Government Response
The Home Office is focused on speeding up claims processing, having published a redesigned claim form and refreshed caseworker guidance on 21 July 2021 to reduce processing time and improve claimant experience.
HM Treasury
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15 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Windrush Compe…
The National Audit Office reported that the Department originally planned to have 125 caseworkers, but...
The National Audit Office reported that the Department originally planned to have 125 caseworkers, but at the launch of the scheme it only had six.58 The Department told us it had entirely rebuilt its capacity plan since ‘October or November’ … Read more
Government Response
The department agrees and reports having 80 caseworkers as of October 2021, with a further 34 expected by January 2022. It also plans to maintain a large reserve list of candidates to quickly fill future caseworker vacancies.
HM Treasury
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16 Conclusion Not Addressed
Fourteenth Report - Windrush Compe…
The Department told us it has a lengthy and comprehensive training course for caseworkers followed...
The Department told us it has a lengthy and comprehensive training course for caseworkers followed by mentoring to ensure that caseworkers formulate awards accurately.63 The National Audit Office noted that, as of March 2021, the Department was aware of six … Read more
Government Response
The government states its commitment to ensuring caseworkers are equipped and that staff complete training courses, but does not specifically address the committee's observations regarding errors in compensation awards or the effectiveness of quality assurance processes in picking up errors.
HM Treasury
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17 Conclusion Accepted
Fourteenth Report - Windrush Compe…
The Department noted that it was exploring options to obtain additional caseworking support for the...
The Department noted that it was exploring options to obtain additional caseworking support for the scheme from elsewhere within the Department.69 In the longer term, it is examining how it can restructure the way it organises its caseworkers across all … Read more
Government Response
The department states the recommendation has been implemented, increasing caseworkers to 80 with 34 more expected by January 2022 and plans for a reserve list. It also published refreshed caseworker guidance in July 2021 to improve claims processing by ensuring minimum evidence for maximum compensation.
HM Treasury
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Government Response AI assessment · 16 of 2 classified
Accepted 12
Accepted in Part 1
Acknowledged 1
Not Addressed 2
Total 2 recs + 15 conclusions
Correspondence 1 letter
29 Jun 2021 Correspondence from Matthew Rycroft CBE, Permanent Secretary, Home Office, re follow up to the Home Office evidence session 7th June, dated 22 June
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