Bereaved relatives say they have been left in the dark over contaminated blood scandal compensation payments after the Government only announced details on payments for surviving victims on Monday. Some victims of the infected blood scandal will receive an interim compensation payment of £210,000 before the end of the summer. Cabinet Office Minister John Glen announced said he recognised that “time is of the essence” as he announced that many will also benefit from further interim compensation payments within 90 days.
Mr Glen said that friends and family members of those infected would also be eligible for compensation under the scheme. However, there was no details on the timescale of interim compensation payments to the estates of the 3,000 victims who have died after being infected with contaminated blood products on the NHS between the 1970s and early 1990s. Jason Evans, director of campaign group Factor 8, said: “We are deeply confused as to why there has been total silence on when and how interim payments will be made to the estates of those who have died.
“Most bereaved families have yet to receive any compensation and have received no timescale today on interim payments.” On 17 April, the Government announced interim payments of £100,000 would be made to the estates of those who had died, and those payments would be made through the existing support schemes. But the existing support scheme is not in a position to accept applications for those payments and .
