Government Commits to Overhaul the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme
Ministers have promised to review the scheme that compensates people injured or bereaved by vaccines, responding to the Covid Inquiry’s call for “urgent” reform. More than 24,000 Covid-related claims have been made, but just over 1% have produced the one-off £120,000 award. Campaigners say a review is not a commitment: “Today, we have no clear timetable.”
Baroness Hallett’s fourth report, on vaccines and therapeutics, found the scheme “not sufficiently supportive”, and in particular that the requirement to show at least 60% disability does not work for Covid vaccine injuries; most claims relate to the AstraZeneca jab. The running costs are the awkward number: the scheme has cost £83m to administer since April 2022, more than double the £32m actually paid out. Vaccine Injured and Bereaved UK welcomed the acknowledgement that the scheme is not fit for purpose, but said that after five years of campaigning “there is a real difference between saying you will look at something and committing to deliver it”.