Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the financial effect on victims of contaminated blood of recent changes benefits.

The value of ex-gratia support that the England Infected Blood Support Scheme (EIBSS) pays to beneficiaries historically infected with hepatitis C and/or HIV from National Health Service blood or blood products is not taken into account as income when a benefit assessment is carried out.

If an individual beneficiary’s income is reduced for any reason, such as a cut to benefit payments, they may be eligible for additional help from EIBSS through discretionary support payments.