Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to allocate additional funds to the Windrush Compensation Scheme; and if she will make a statement to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush in Britain.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Scheme has reached its public commitment of deploying 154 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Executive Office (EO) Decision Makers by Quarter 2 2023. The Scheme also continues to run ongoing recruitment campaigns to ensure the necessary level of staffing is maintained and has continued to backfill those who leave.
As set out by the Home Secretary at the Windrush Working Group Meeting on 24 January 2023, additional experienced EO decision makers have also been deployed on a temporary basis to assist with accelerating decision making; these staff are in addition to meeting the public commitment to post 154 substantive EO decision makers recruited.
Regarding allocating additional funds to the Windrush Compensation Scheme, there is no cap on the amount of compensation the Scheme will pay out. The Government is determined to right the wrongs for affected members of the Windrush generation and will ensure that all funding requirements are met.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to increase the number of full time equivalent staff working on processing Windrush Compensation Scheme claims.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Scheme has reached its public commitment of deploying 154 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Executive Office (EO) Decision Makers by Quarter 2 2023. The Scheme also continues to run ongoing recruitment campaigns to ensure the necessary level of staffing is maintained and has continued to backfill those who leave.
As set out by the Home Secretary at the Windrush Working Group Meeting on 24 January 2023, additional experienced EO decision makers have also been deployed on a temporary basis to assist with accelerating decision making; these staff are in addition to meeting the public commitment to post 154 substantive EO decision makers recruited.
Regarding allocating additional funds to the Windrush Compensation Scheme, there is no cap on the amount of compensation the Scheme will pay out. The Government is determined to right the wrongs for affected members of the Windrush generation and will ensure that all funding requirements are met.
Mentions:
1: Thangam Debbonaire (LAB - Bristol West) Today we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the first people from the Windrush generation - Speech Link
2: Penny Mordaunt (CON - Portsmouth North) Lady in saying how good it was this week to see the Windrush generation, and all their contributions - Speech Link
3: Dawn Butler (LAB - Brent Central) I thank the Leader of the House and all Members for their warm words about the Windrush generation. - Speech Link
4: Marsha De Cordova (LAB - Battersea) Today, on the 75th anniversary of the arrival into the UK of the Windrush generation, which included - Speech Link
Written Evidence Nov. 29 2023
Inquiry: The rights of older peopleFound: The most egregious example of this is the treatment of the Windrush generation who experienced serious
Mentions:
1: Baroness Scott of Bybrook (CON - Life peer) We are paying out continually under the compensation scheme, and the Home Office continues to make improvements - Speech Link
2: Lord Kamall (CON - Life peer) I thank my noble friend the Minister for sharing the plans to celebrate the Windrush generation, but - Speech Link
3: Baroness Scott of Bybrook (CON - Life peer) The Home Office is making the compensation payments as quickly as possible, but each person’s claim is - Speech Link
4: Lord Khan of Burnley (LAB - Life peer) My Lords, we all owe enormous gratitude to the Windrush generation, who played a pivotal role in rebuilding - Speech Link
Apr. 03 2024
Source Page: Independent Examiner of Complaints Annual Report 2022 to 2023Found: been, the subject of judicial review or other court proceedings • which fall under the remit of the Windrush
Asked by: Baroness Benjamin (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to grant victims of the Windrush scandal the right to have a hearing at the Home Office.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
If an individual is dissatisfied with the outcome of their compensation claim, they can ask the Home Office to review its decision. This will be an internal independent review by someone who has not been involved in the individual’s case (Tier 1 review).
If an individual remains dissatisfied, they can then request an external independent review (Tier 2 review). Their claim will be looked at by the Adjudicator’s Office.
The Adjudicator’s Office is a separate organisation, independent of the Home Office who can look at, among other things, whether the department has followed its policies, and the use of discretion by the Windrush Compensation Team.
The compensation scheme is intended to properly compensate members of the Windrush generation and to deliver on the commitment to right the wrongs that were experienced, while avoiding the need for court proceedings. We think this is in the best interests of those affected.
Mentions:
1: Alison Thewliss (SNP - Glasgow Central) This uncertainty around status speaks to some of the difficulties caused for the Windrush generation, - Speech Link
2: Robert Jenrick (CON - Newark) Lady also mentioned Windrush; that is a very serious situation, but is a quite a different situation - Speech Link
Estimate memoranda Jun. 29 2023
Committee: Home Affairs Committee (Department: Home Office)Found: These include issues around the Windrush generation and modern slavery. 1.
Mentions:
1: Baroness Chakrabarti (Lab - Life peer) I have seen that in other inquiries and compensation schemes, not least Windrush and Leveson—on which - Speech Link
2: Baroness Newlove (Con - Life peer) Therefore, this Bill must be a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform victims’ experiences of - Speech Link
3: Lord Garnier (Con - Life peer) We could create a standard measure of compensation that would ensure consistency and transparency, as - Speech Link
4: Baroness Meacher (XB - Life peer) However, in Committee we will need to consider filling the gaps in the compensation plan. - Speech Link