Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to replace the Windrush Compensation Scheme's mechanism for escalating complaints with a direct and independent right of appeal for Windrush claimants.

The Windrush Compensation Scheme already includes provision for the independent review of claims. If an individual is dissatisfied with the outcome of their claim, they can ask the Home Office to review its decision. This will be an internal independent Tier 1 review by someone who has not been involved in the individual’s case.

If an individual remains dissatisfied, they can request an external independent Tier 2 review by the Adjudicator’s Office (AO). The AO is a separate organisation, independent of the Home Office who can look at, among other things, whether the department has followed its policies, and the use of discretion by the Windrush Compensation Team.

If, after completing both review stages, claimants remain dissatisfied, they can ask their MP to submit their complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO).