Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the deaths of care home staff, how many applications have been made by relatives of care home staff to the NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance scheme; how many of those applications have been processed; what the total amount of money paid out in respect of those applications has been; and how many of those applications have been rejected.

The Government launched the NHS and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance scheme on 20 May 2020. The scheme is non-contributory and pays a £60,000 lump sum where staff who had been recently working where personal care is provided to individuals who have contracted COVID-19 die as a result of the virus.

As of 16 September 2020, the scheme administrator has received 57 claims to the scheme from the families of staff who had been working in care homes. Of these 57 claims, 21 have been paid and 30 have been agreed for payment subject to receiving probate. Five claims require further information and one is in the process of being considered.

As of 16 September 2020, a total of £1,260,000 has been paid to the families of care home staff under the scheme. Where a case is accepted, the payment is always £60,000. To date no claims have been rejected.