UK to Overhaul Covid Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme — SkimNews
Get the Health newsletter
Daily health & science — research, biotech, public health, the studies worth knowing. Free.
- Baroness Hallett's fourth Covid Inquiry report called for "urgent" reform of the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme, saying its requirement that claimants show at least 60% disability does not work effectively for Covid vaccines.
- The UK government committed to reviewing the scheme in response to the Inquiry, stating it would ensure the VDPS is "fit for purpose and delivered effectively" while working with other UK nations and affected families.
- The Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme has received more than 24,000 Covid-related claims, yet just over 1% have resulted in the one-off tax-free award of £120,000.
- VDPS running costs have totalled £83m since April 2022 — more than double the £32m paid out in financial support to victims, according to figures revealed last month.
- Vaccine Injured and Bereaved UK welcomed the government's acknowledgement but said it had "no clear timetable, no certainty about what will change and no assurance about when families will finally see meaningful progress."
Why it matters: With over 24,000 Covid-related claims filed and only 1% resulting in payouts, the government has accepted the current scheme is failing those injured by vaccines — but campaigners note that acknowledging the problem is not the same as committing to fix it, and the £83m admin cost versus £32m in actual compensation underscores how poorly the system serves victims.
Ask SkimNews
