Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what mechanisms are in place for claimants of support from the (a) Macfarlane and Eileen Trust, (b) Skipton Fund, (c) Macfarlane Trust, (d) Eileen Trust and (e) Caxton Foundation to make complaints about and seek redress for level of support they receive; and what process those bodies use to decide entitlement to discretionary and non-discretionary support.

MFET Ltd and the Skipton Fund make fixed rate payments which are set by Government. If claimants are unhappy with the level of those payments they can write to the Department of Health. The payments policies of the Macfarlane Trust, Eileen Trust and Caxton Foundation are determined by their respective Trustees. People who are unhappy with the level of the payments they receive from any of these bodies can take it up with the relevant body.

To establish eligibility in respect of HIV infection, claimants are required to provide as much relevant information as they have available, which is then considered by the Department. To establish eligibility in respect of hepatitis C infection, a claimant’s hepatologist provides the necessary information for the Skipton Fund. All claims are assessed on the balance of probabilities. People whose claims are rejected by the Skipton Fund can submit an appeal to the independent Appeals Panel. Entry into the system of financial support is through MFET Ltd in respect of HIV infection and the Skipton Fund in respect of hepatitis C infection.

Once a claimant has been approved for payments from MFET Ltd and the Skipton Fund, they are also eligible to apply for discretionary support from the relevant discretionary body (the Macfarlane Trust for haemophiliacs with HIV or HIV and hepatitis C; the Eileen Trust for non-haemophiliacs with HIV or HIV and hepatitis C; the Caxton Foundation for people mono-infected with hepatitis C).