Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to paragraph 3.26 of his Department's paper, Infected blood: Government Response to Consultation on Reform of Financial and Other Support, published in July 2016, when bereaved families will be able to apply for support; what factors will be taken into account in deciding whether infection with HIV and hepatitis C contributed to the death of their partner or spouse; and whether widows and widowers who subsequently remarried will be able to claim discretionary and lump sum support.

We expect to provide, before March 2017, a £10,000 lump sum payment to bereaved partners/spouses of a primary beneficiary when they died and where the infection with HIV and/or hepatitis C contributed to the death. The Department is developing guidance on what factors will be taken into account in deciding whether infection with HIV and/or hepatitis C contributed to the death of a primary beneficiary of the current infected blood payment support schemes; and whether widows and widowers who subsequently remarried will be able to claim the lump sum.

From April 2017, a new, single discretionary scheme will replace the current three infected blood discretionary support schemes and guidance is also being developed about eligibility for access to the new discretionary support arrangements.