Interim Infected-blood Compensation Payments and the Welsh Government Jobs Growth Plus Scheme: Clarification of Tax Treatment

Tuesday 11th October 2022 Written Statements

[The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Richard Fuller)]

Interim infected blood compensation payments

Following Sir Brian Langstaff’s recommendation, the Government previously announced that infected individuals and bereaved partners currently registered on the existing UK infected blood support schemes, and those who register from now to the inception of any future scheme, would receive an interim compensation payment of £100,000¹.

The Government are today announcing that they will ensure that no income tax, capital gains tax, national insurance contributions or inheritance tax are charged on these payments. In addition, these payments will not be included as income for tax credit purposes. The Government will legislate to exempt these payments in due course.

In the interim, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs will exercise its collection and management discretion and will not collect any tax on these payments once issued.

Jobs Growth Plus scheme

In addition, the Government will legislate in the Finance Bill 2022-23 to ensure that payments made under the engagement and advancement strands of the Jobs Growth Plus scheme by the Welsh Government will be exempt from income tax. This legislation will apply retrospectively from 1 April 2022, when payments from the scheme started.

HMRC will exercise its collection and management discretion and will not collect any income tax that may have been due on payments made from 1 April 2022 to the date the legislation takes effect.

These measures are being announced outside of the normal fiscal process in order to provide certainty regarding the tax treatment to those making the payments and the recipients.

¹ https://www.infectedbloodinquiry.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-08/16082022_Minister%20for%20the%20Cabinet%20Office%20to%20Sir%20Brian%20Langstaff.pdf

[HCWS308]