Fourteenth Report - Windrush Compensation Scheme

Select Committee

Public Accounts Committee HC 174 27 July 2021

Report Status Government responded

Conclusions & Recommendations 17 items (2 recs)

Source View on Parliament website

Government Response (AI assessment · 16 of 17 classified)

Accepted 12

Accepted in Part 1

Acknowledged 1

Not Addressed 2

Government response

Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Fourteenth report from Session 2021-22 · published 8 Nov 2021

Read the government response ↗ Response on the tracker

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 results

5 Conclusion Not Addressed

The National Audit Office report noted that for claims received after March 2020 (the only...

Conclusion

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 Summary

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

View Details

13 Conclusion

The Department told us it wanted to ensure all those potentially eligible to apply to...

Conclusion

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 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 Commonwealth nationals who may have been wrongfully detained, removed or sanctioned under the compliant environment”. But, in June 2019, the Department rejected this recommendation and referred to it having already ‘conducted extensive outreach’ to raise awareness.48 Despite the Department’s apparent efforts, The National Audit Office reported in May 2021 that, in a survey by the Department, more than half of respondents 35 Q 72 36 Qq 72–73 37 Qq 23, 33 38 Qq 25, 29, 43, 49, 53, 57, 60 39 Qq 19–20, 68 40 Qq 18–19 41 Qq 18–19 42 Q 25 43 C&AG’s Report, para 9 44 C&AG’s Report, para 1.11 45 Q 25 (although the department stated 2,369, we understand it would have meant 2,367, which was the latest figure at the time according to Windrush Compensation Scheme data: May 2021 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), accessed 29 June 2021) 46 Windrush Compensation Scheme data: May 2021 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), accessed 29 June 2021 47 Qq 46, 49 48 HM Treasury, Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Eighty-Second and the Eighty- Sixth to the Ninety-Second reports from Session 2017–19, CP 113, June 2019 Windrush Compensation Scheme 11 thought the scheme was relevant only to those from the Caribbean.49 We heard that the Department had started its community fund to support outreach work only in December 2020, and therefore asked why there had been such a delay.50 The Department recognised that, in hindsight, it ‘could have been quicker off the mark’ with its efforts to engage with other affected communities.51 It assured us it was actively looking to ensure it promoted the scheme across a broader range of communities, such as those from South Asia and West Africa, through its outreach events and community fund.52 The Dep Show less

HM Treasury

View Details

16 Conclusion Not Addressed

The Department told us it has a lengthy and comprehensive training course for caseworkers followed...

Conclusion

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 Summary

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

View Details