All Windrush victims to get at least £10,000

The government is to give more money to victims of the Windrush scandal, which saw hundreds of people wrongly threatened with deportation.

Home Secretary Priti Patel announced that the minimum payment will rise from £250 to £10,000, and the maximum from £10,000 to £100,000.

The figure will be higher still in "exceptional" circumstances, with money coming through quicker than before.

The Windrush scandal mainly affected UK citizens originally from the Caribbean.

They were granted indefinite leave to remain in 1971, but thousands were children who had travelled on their parents' passports.

Because of this, many were unable to prove they had the right to live in the country when "hostile environment" immigration policies - demanding the showing of documentation - began in 2012, under then Home Secretary Theresa May.

• UK 'unlawfully ignored' Windrush warnings

• Windrush victims died before getting compensation

• Who are the Windrush generation?

• Windrush: Who exactly was on board?

The scandal broke in 2018, including the revelation that many of those affected had lost homes and jobs and had been denied access to healthcare and benefits.

The BBC's Westminster Hour reported last month that at least nine people had died while awaiting payments under the compensation scheme set up for victims.

Analysis

By Jack Fenwick, Westminster Hour

Campaigners for the Windrush victims are likely to ask why this announcement by the home secretary didn't come sooner.

The government acted quickly in setting up the Windrush Compensation Scheme when the scandal became public in 2018, but that scheme has long been criticised for being too slow and resulting in offers some say are too low.

The speed at which claims are processed and money is offered is seen as being particularly crucial, given that many of those affected are elderly.

The additional announcement that the compensation process for loss of earnings will also change could potentially lead to even larger payouts for victims.

Early responses from claimants suggest a sense of cautious optimism at the latest announcement, with one person telling me they won't believe it until a cheque is in the post.

The Windrush Compensation Scheme will be updated following consultation with the Windrush Working Group, chaired by Bishop Derek Webley.

Ms Patel told the House of Commons there would be "substantial changes".

She added that these would "make a real difference to people's lives", saying: "I've always promised to listen and act to ensure that the victims of Windrush receive the maximum amount of compensation they deserve.

"It's my mission to correct the wrongs of the past and I will continue to work with the Windrush Working Group to do exactly that."

The changes to the scheme will apply retrospectively, meaning those previously given less than £10,000 will receive top-up payments.

The Home Office is also removing the 12 months' salary limit on compensation for earnings lost by people forced out of their jobs.

It will start letting those affected by the changes know from next week.

Bishop Webley said: "Many will benefit from the relief that these new payments will provide, and begin to move forward with their lives with hope and determination."

An estimated 500,000 people living in the UK make up the surviving members of the Windrush generation.

An Equality and Human Rights Commission report last month said government action taken to "record and respond to negative equality impacts" of hostile environment immigration policies had been "perfunctory, and therefore insufficient".

It called for a plan" of "specific actions" to "avoid a future breach", with the commission's interim chair, Caroline Waters, describing the treatment of the Windrush generation as "a shameful stain on British history".

The Windrush compensation scheme came into force last year, with £2m being paid out so far and a further £1m offered.