Interim Payments for Bereaved Families
I recommend that an interim payment of £100,000 should be paid to recognise the deaths of people to date unrecognised and alleviate immediate suffering. This should be done as follows: a) where someone infected died as a child or died as an adult without a partner or child, the interim payment should be made to their bereaved parents (split equally if separated); b) where someone infected has died and there is no bereaved partner but there is a bereaved child or children (including any adopted child), the interim payment should be paid to the child or children (split equally); and c) where someone infected has died and there is no bereaved partner, child nor parent but there is a bereaved full sibling or siblings, the interim payment should be paid to the sibling or siblings (split equally).
How was this assessed?
Response
Accepted
Response
AcceptedThe Government recognises that people have been waiting for too long to receive compensation and for justice to be delivered on this scandal. In order to provide financial support prior to the rollout of the Scheme, the Government has made interim payments to infected beneficiaries, bereaved partners, and the estates of deceased infected people. From October 2022, interim payments of £100,000 were made available to infected beneficiaries and bereaved partners. In October 2024, following a commitment made in the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024, the Government opened applications for interim payments of £100,000 to the estates of the deceased infected people whose deaths had not been recognised to date. This complies with the spirit of recommendation 12 of the Second Interim Report, to recognise the deaths of infected people to date unrecognised, and to alleviate immediate suffering. In addition to those recommendations, further interim payments of £210,000 were made to living infected beneficiaries in June 2024. So far, over £1.2 billion has been paid in interim compensation payments to victims of the Infected Blood scandal and their families.
Interim payments of £100,000 were made to estates of deceased infected persons and to bereaved family members according to the hierarchy specified. This was accepted in full and implemented ahead of the main compensation scheme.
Progress Timeline
Published Evidence
Published assessments of implementation progress from inspectorates, select committees, official progress reports, and other sources. Check the source type badge to see whether each assessment is independent or government self-reported.
As of 13 January 2026: 3,721 people asked to start claims, 3,546 begun process, 3,074 received offers totalling £2.47bn, 2,861 paid totalling £1.89bn. Third compensation regulations in force 31 December 2025.
View detailed findings
IBCA exceeded initial expectations. Three sets of regulations now in force covering infected persons, affected persons, and supplementary routes. £11.8bn committed in October 2024 Budget. Independent review found "very creditable progress."
Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 established IBCA. Three sets of scheme regulations in force (Aug 2024, Mar 2025, Dec 2025). First payments December 2024. £1.89bn paid to 2,861 people by January 2026.
IBCA has contacted 2,215 people to begin compensation claims; 1,934 started process. £812m+ paid via Horizon Shortfall Scheme. £11.8bn committed in Autumn Budget.
View detailed findings
IBCA exceeded expectations for first cohort and established operational service with "compassionate ethos." Target: bulk of infected payments by 2027, affected by 2029. Third compensation scheme regulations came into law 31 December 2025.
Infected Blood Compensation Authority established August 2024. First claims for deceased infected/affected opened December 2025. IBCA accepted all 11 recommendations directed to them.