Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applications to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme relating to covid-19 vaccinations have been subject to a request for mandatory reversal; how many and what proportion of such requests (a) were rejected and (b) have been outstanding for more than (i) three, (ii) six and (iii) 12 months; and how many and what proportion of rejected requests were referred to the First-Tier Tribunal.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As of 27 February 2025, 1,657 applications to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme relating to COVID-19 vaccinations have been subject to a request for mandatory reversal. Re-assessment has been completed for 1,073 of these applications, with 21, or 2% of, decisions reversed. A reversal does not mean that the original decision was incorrect, as claimants provide additional information during the mandatory reversal process which can alter the outcome of the assessment.
Of the outstanding claims, 333, or 20% of the total mandatory reversal applications, have been outstanding for more than three months. Of those, 200, or 12%, have been outstanding for more than six months, and of those 81, or 5%, have been outstanding for more than 12 months. 69, or 7% of, rejected mandatory reversals have been referred to the First-Tier Tribunal.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what tribunal decisions have been used by the NHS Business Services Authority to assess claims relating to Covid-19 vaccinations under the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Since taking over administration of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme on 1 November 2021, all decisions taken by the NHS Business Services Authority that have been appealed to tribunal have been upheld.
Decisions in first tier tribunals do not set a precedent for other cases. All claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme are assessed on a case-by-case basis, using the latest available medical evidence. Medical assessors will consider the claim form, medical records from the vaccinated person’s healthcare providers, clinical research, epidemiological evidence, and the current consensus of expert medical opinion.
Asked by: Sojan Joseph (Labour - Ashford)
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 12 December 2024 to Question 18797 on Coronavirus: Vaccination, how many of the claims relating to Covid-19 vaccination that have gone to tribunal have resulted in the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme Payment being awarded to the applicant.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
As of 1 December 2024, 49 appeals linked to COVID-19 vaccinations have been escalated to tribunal. Eight of these appeals have now concluded, with zero resulting in a payment being awarded.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many claims related to Covid-19 vaccinations have been made through the Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
As of 26 April 2024, there have been 11,427 COVID-19 related claims made to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of (a) compensation and (b) successful applications of awards given out by the vaccine damage payment scheme related to a covid-19 vaccinations since the addition of the covid-19 vaccines to the vaccine damage payment scheme.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
Between COVID-19 being added to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) on 31 December 2020 and 5 February 2024, 163 claims have received an award that relates to COVID-19. This constitutes 98% of awarded VDPS claims in this period, with four claims receiving an award that relates to other diseases.
It is important to note that the VDPS is not a compensation scheme. £19,560,000 has been awarded for claims relating to COVID-19, including pending payments. This constitutes 98% of VDPS awards in this period, with £480,000 having been paid to awarded claims relating to other diseases.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
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 23 January 2024 to Question 9963 on Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme: Coronavirus, how many and what proportion of those 163 claimants have received an award in relation to a COVID-19 vaccination specifically.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
Of the 163 claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme that received an award between 31 December 2020 and 16 January 2024, 160 or 98% were claims related to COVID-19.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many claimants to the Vaccine Damage Payment scheme (a) have been and (b) are due to be awarded money for a life-changing disability as a result of a covid-19 vaccine as of 5 February 2024.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
As of 5 February 2024, 163 claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme relating to COVID-19 have received an award. 154 of these claimants have received their payment, and in the remaining nine cases, the NHS Business Services Authority is awaiting relevant information from the claimant in order to process the payment. This gives a total of £18,480,000 paid out to successful COVID-19 related claims, with an additional £1,080,000 pending.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much money has been awarded by the vaccine damage payment scheme to claimants who suffered disabilities as a result of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
As of 5 February 2024, 163 claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme relating to COVID-19 have received an award. 154 of these claimants have received their payment, and in the remaining nine cases, the NHS Business Services Authority is awaiting relevant information from the claimant in order to process the payment. This gives a total of £18,480,000 paid out to successful COVID-19 related claims, with an additional £1,080,000 pending.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme relating to covid-19 vaccines where causation has been established and where (a) the 60% disablement threshold has been met, (b) that threshold has not been met, have arisen as a result of (i) Vaccine-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis, (ii) Guillain-Barré syndrome and (iii) any other condition.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
As of 31 January 2024, of the 163 COVID-19 related applications to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme that have received an award, 69 cases were related to cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, 49 were related to Guillain-Barré syndrome and 45 cases were related to other medical conditions.
Of the 300 cases where causation was accepted but the individual did not meet the 60% threshold, 50 cases were related to cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, 63 were related to Guillain-Barré syndrome and 187 cases were related to other medical conditions.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme relating to covid-19 vaccinations have been (a) received, (b) successful, (c) unsuccessful due to a failure to meet the 60% disability threshold, (d) rejected and (e) are still awaiting resolution.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
As of 31 January 2024, the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) has received 9172 COVID-19 related claims. Within these claims, 163 have received an award and 4421 have been rejected. Of these rejected claims: 300 claims were rejected for not meeting the 60% disability threshold; 339 claims were found invalid, either outside the scope of the VDPS or a duplicate claim; and 4249 claims are awaiting resolution.