Recommendation IBI-A-5a: Severe Psychological Harm
From Additional Report on Compensation, published 9 July 2025.
Recommendation
The approach of the Infected Blood Psychology Service is adopted so that both a diagnosis made by a psychiatric professional and a formulation-based opinion of all qualified psychological and counselling professionals are accepted as sufficient evidence of severe psychological harm and that such evidence should qualify a person for a supplementary Severe Health Condition award without the additional need to demonstrate a period of consultant-led secondary mental health treatment or assessment/treatment as an inpatient.
In brief (written by this site)
The Inquiry recommended accepting psychological formulations for severe health condition compensation awards. In July 2026, the Cabinet Office stated that new regulations introduce an award enabling supplementary route applications for those experiencing psychological harm (Cabinet Office, Jul 2026). The department previously confirmed in April 2026 that this award would provide additional financial loss and care compensation (Cabinet Office, Apr 2026). It had committed in July 2025 to consult on evidential requirements and thresholds, but accepting psychological formulations without secondary mental health treatment is not mentioned in the sources (Cabinet Office response, Jul 2025; Cabinet Office, Jul 2026).
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 5 Oct 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
Government response
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.
Delivery
Cabinet Office says in progress (23 July 2026)
Through the new SCM proposal, people who have experienced more psychological harm than the core award assumes will be able to apply to receive more Financial Loss and Care compensation to account for the impact that this harm had on their life. These Regulations will introduce the new SCM award and therefore enable supplementary route applications from those who can show that their circumstances require more Financial Loss and Care compensation for psychological harm.
From: Explanatory Memorandum to the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2026
Site note: The Cabinet Office's Explanatory Memorandum to the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/872). The memorandum carries no date of its own; the row is dated 23 July 2026, the day the Regulations were made. They came into force the next day.
Earlier statement on delivery (1)
Cabinet Office (14 April 2026)
The new Severe Health Condition award for SCM will ensure the Scheme fully recognises the impact of severe psychological harm by giving people in this situation more financial loss and care compensation. This change will mean that the core route awards, the new Severe Health Condition award for SCM, and the existing Severe Health Condition award for Severe Psychiatric Conditions all offer compensation for the range of mental health issues that infected people have suffered.
From: Government response to consultation on proposed changes to the infected blood compensation scheme
Responsible bodies
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- UK Government
Response - Cabinet Office
Delivery statement