Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason funding for the Windrush community engagement fund was withdrawn.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Due to internal delays in assessing bids, the Home Office withdrew the Community Engagement Fund in February 2023. Continuing would have left organisations with very little time to complete projects before the end of the 22/23 financial year.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason her Department decided not to award grants to Windrush community organisations as part of the community engagement fund in March 2023.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Due to internal delays in assessing bids, the Home Office decided to withdraw the Community Engagement Fund in February 2023. Continuing would have left organisations with very little time to complete projects before the end of the 22/23 financial year.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the 2023-24 Windrush community engagement grant fund will be allocated.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Required administrative processes to launch a £150,000 Community Engagement Fund for the financial year 2023-24 are in train and the aim is to start the competition for bids as soon as possible.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the cost to claimants of applying for compensation under the Windrush compensation scheme; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
We have designed the Windrush Compensation Scheme to be as clear and simple as possible; the Home Office does not charge claimants to apply for compensation under the Scheme.
The claim forms and guidance can either be requested as a hard-copy or downloaded for free from GOV.UK: Windrush Compensation Scheme: claim forms and guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Once the claim form has been completed, it can either be posted to the Scheme’s freepost address or it can be emailed to the Scheme for free.
Our claimant assistance provider, We Are Digital provides free impartial advice and support with completing a claim form. The Windrush Help Team also assists individuals should they have questions about the claim form or process.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much total compensation they have paid out so far to those affected by the Windrush scandal.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
As at the end of November 2022, the total amount paid or offered to claimants through the Windrush Compensation Scheme had increased to over £62.42 million. Of this total, £52.76 million had been paid across 1,377 claims and a further £9.66 million had been offered, awaiting acceptance, or pending review.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Windrush Compensation Scheme.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Information relating to the number of people that have been helped through the Windrush Compensation Scheme since its establishment is included in Windrush Compensation Scheme Transparency Data which is published regularly, together with the Windrush Compensation Scheme Fact Sheet which can be found here: Windrush Schemes factsheet – November 2022.
The effectiveness of the Windrush Compensation Scheme is kept under constant review. The Home Office works hard to streamline processes and make policy improvements where necessary. The Windrush Compensation Scheme Fact Sheet provides further information.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been helped through the Windrush Compensation Scheme since its establishment.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Information relating to the number of people that have been helped through the Windrush Compensation Scheme since its establishment is included in Windrush Compensation Scheme Transparency Data which is published regularly, together with the Windrush Compensation Scheme Fact Sheet which can be found here: Windrush Schemes factsheet – November 2022.
The effectiveness of the Windrush Compensation Scheme is kept under constant review. The Home Office works hard to streamline processes and make policy improvements where necessary. The Windrush Compensation Scheme Fact Sheet provides further information.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the backlog of applications for full compensation following mistakes by the Home Office regarding migration or residence status.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Windrush Compensation Scheme was launched in April 2019 to compensate members of the Windrush generation and their families for the losses and impacts they have suffered as a result of being unable to demonstrate their lawful immigration status in the United Kingdom.
The current number of claims that are awaiting a decision at all stages of the initial consideration process, referred to as ‘Work in Progress’ (WIP), for the Windrush Compensation Scheme is published in the Transparency Data release. The latest data was published on 13th January 2023 and can be found at: Windrush Compensation Scheme data: November 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The relevant page is WCS 05 - Total WIP and Age.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many individuals have received payments from the Emergency Hardship Fund since it was set up following the Windrush scandal.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
In December 2018, the Home Office established an Urgent and Exceptional Payments (UEP) process under the Windrush Compensation Scheme. The policy has a very clear purpose to provide support to members of the Windrush cohort who have an urgent and exceptional need, where this cannot wait for the full compensation scheme decision.
The Home Office are committed to providing support as quickly as possible where it is needed. The number of individuals issued with an Urgent and Exceptional Payment is not currently published, the Home Office are working to publish that information shortly. The total value of Urgent and Exceptional Payments approved is published and as at the end of November 2022, the total amount paid out was £239,836.46.
Asked by: Dawn Butler (Labour - Brent Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to introduce a closing date for applications to the Windrush Compensation Scheme.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
There are no plans to introduce a closing date for the Windrush Compensation Scheme.