Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to introduce compensation payments for the families of NHS staff that die as a result of covid-19 infection.

The NHS Pension Scheme provides death in service cover of two times annual pay to active members who are yet to retire to support a member’s partner and dependents should they die before claiming their benefits. Membership of the pension scheme is voluntary and is available to all staff in the National Health Service who are yet to retire. Around 90% of staff are active scheme members.

The Government is in the process of setting up a life assurance scheme for frontline health and social care staff who contract coronavirus during the course of their work.

We recognise that frontline health and social care staff are working in environments where direct personal healthcare is provided to patients and service users who have or are suspected to have coronavirus.

The scheme is non-contributory and pays a £60,000 lump sum where staff die as a result of coronavirus and have been recently working in frontline roles and locations where personal care is provided to individuals who have contracted the virus.

Payments received from this scheme will be in addition to any benefits received from the NHS Pension Scheme.