Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2024 to Question 13773 on the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, how many claims have waited over a year for a decision; and what support his Department provides to claimants.

As of 1 December 2024, 1,107 claims have been waiting over a year for a resolution. All claims are managed on a case-by-case basis and there are several factors that may impact processing times. This includes time spent awaiting medical records from healthcare providers, or appropriate legal identification documentation, or awaiting consent from claimants for access to their medical records