The UK Government released further documents on Friday about the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme, which was designed to “bring redress” to the more than 30,000 people who were infected by HIV and Hepatitis C after receiving contaminated blood.

The new information includes a government update, a series of recommendations to the government by the interim chair of the Infected Blood Compensation Authority Sir Robert Francis KC and the government’s response to these proposals. The first phase of regulations is required to be made by August 24 under the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024.

Francis acknowledged the previous government’s failure to fully engage with the affected communities, which impacted victims’ trust in the scheme and the statutory deadline of three months for regulations to be put in place. The deadline was originally established to ensure quick payments, but Francis said it has limited his engagement capabilities, particularly as it coincided with the pre-election period.

The vast majority of Francis’ recommendations were accepted. Perhaps most notably, all those registered with an infected blood support scheme before April 1, 2025, including living infected people and bereaved partners, will receive regular support payments for life. The recommendations also include an additional payment of £10,000 for people infected following “unethical research.” This includes victims who, as children with hemophilia, were non-consensually involved in trials at the Lord Mayor Treloar College in Hampshire. These victims will be given an extra £15,000.

Paymaster General and Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said that individual compensation could amount to up to £2.8 million for those worst affected. There will be a tariff-based approach to compensation, with injury awards differing based on severity and supplementary claims available for people who suffered extraordinary care costs or loss of earnings.

There has already been disapproval from victims of the scheme. One victim stated, “We’re actually livid with anger … After all these decades of fighting, after going through a six year plus inquiry and being vindicated on everything that we’ve said, that the government are offering such paltry figures.” A victim of the Treloar scandal, who was infected with HIV and Hepatitis B as an experiment, said, “To us, it seems exceptionally low for what was done to us as children from the ages of 10 at school. I think it’s derisory and frankly insulting.”

CEO of the Hepatitis C Trust Rachel Halford noted that the schemes are limited in range, not including those given Hepatitis C after 1991 or those given Hepatitis B. Halford stated, “The government must work transparently and openly with the infected blood community and explain its reasoning for likely compensation levels and the basis for these figures.” Similarly, Leigh Day, who represents more than 300 people affected, criticized the government’s failure to highlight the differences in proposed funds for those infected with mono-HIV and mono-HCV.

Thomas-Symonds clarified:

We know no amount of compensation can fully address the damage to people who suffered as a result of this scandal. This is why alongside the compensation, we must drive forward the wider cultural changes to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.

The Infected Blood Scandal Inquiry investigated why so many people were given infected blood products, the impact of the infections, the nature of support provided after infection and whether there was a coverup. The inquiry found that the National Health Service (NHS) was guilty of a “catalogue of failures” and a “chilling” and “pervasive” coverup for decades. As Sir Robert Francis highlighted, “[T]he awful consequences of being treated with infected blood products have been compounded by decades of misinformation, lack of candour, ineffective support, and delay in redress.” More than 3,000 people died as a result of infection.

Victims of the scandal, both infected and affected, are currently able to register their interest in the scheme. Approximately 3,000 people have reportedly already registered as potential recipients, and the compensation payments are expected to begin in 2025.