Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to expedite the processing of Windrush Compensation Scheme claims.

The changes we made to the Scheme in December 2020 means people now receive significantly more money more quickly and this has had an immediate beneficial impact.

Within six weeks of the changes being announced, we had offered more compensation than we had in the first 19 months of the Scheme. As of the end of October, the Home Office has paid more than ten times the total amount paid prior to the changes being announced and offered an average of £3.1 million per month.

We are processing claims as quickly as possible - this is our priority. However, we recognise we have more to do to decrease the time between submission and decision on claims.

To do this we are recruiting an additional 30 caseworkers, directing resources to maximise final decision output and refining our processes so cases progress as quickly as possible, including revising our data-sharing agreements with other departments.

Wherever possible, we will make a preliminary payment as soon as someone applying on their own behalf, or on behalf of someone who has sadly passed away, can show any impact on their life under the terms of the Scheme. Individuals do not have to wait for their whole application to be assessed in order to receive a preliminary payment.

We have taken steps to encourage more people to submit a claim and to help those who already have:

- We have removed the end date of the Scheme to ensure that no one is prevented from making a claim if they are eligible.

- We have also launched a package of support to help those making, or who have already made, claims on behalf of a relative who has passed away to obtain the legal documentation required to process their claims.

- In addition, we have published a redesigned primary claim form which is easier for people to complete, and refreshed casework guidance which sets out clearly how caseworkers should apply the balance of probabilities and go about gathering evidence, with the aim of reducing the time taken to process claims and improving peoples’ experiences of applying to the Scheme.