Government informed to hurry up ‘woeful’ fee scheme for Windrush scandal victims

Rishi Sunak has been warned by celebrities and campaigners to right away velocity up the “woeful” compensation scheme for victims of the Windrush scandal.

The name is available in an open letter signed by singer-songwriter Annie Lennox, campaigner Baroness Doreen Lawrence, actor Colin McFarlane, and rapper AJ Tracey. The Justice4Windrush marketing campaign is demanding “full and swift compensation”, because the five-year anniversary of the scheme being launched in April 2019 approaches.

The scandal noticed the lives of British residents, principally from the Caribbean, torn aside. They have been denied entry to healthcare, advantages, misplaced jobs, and threatened with deportation regardless of having the proper to stay within the UK.

The open letter to the PM and Labour chief Keir Starmer urges them to decide to an “independent neutral body” to supervise funds of their election manifestos. It states that the Home Office estimated round 15,000 folks would qualify for compensation when the scheme launched in 2019.

But the newest Government information from November 2023 exhibits simply 1,018 preliminary claims had been paid – lower than a fifth of all claims with remaining selections at that stage. Of claims within the Home Office system, some 13% had been ready at the least 12 months to be processed.

McFarlane mentioned: “The Home Office scandal that impacted the Windrush generation is not over. Yet 90% of the country think it is.” He added: “The woeful 2019 compensation scheme has added insult to injury and merely prolonged the trauma and is yet another illustration of decades long discrimination by the Home Office against migrants of colour. We need justice for the Windrush generation, now.”

Lennox mentioned: “With #Justice4Windrush, we want to put the issue of Windrush front and centre, to ensure that the Windrush generation are seen, heard and healed. Bigotry, hatred and racism have pervaded the British establishment for too long. We need to put an immediate stop to the tragic injustice of this Home Office Scandal. Windrush victims deserve nothing less.”

Other high-profile supporters embody actress Hannah Waddingham and tv presenter Jay Blades. Martin Forde KC – a authorized adviser to the group who additionally suggested the Home Office on the fee scheme – added: “The Windrush Compensation Scheme has left many victims in a state of limbo.

“We have heard tales of people being wrongly denied tens of 1000’s of kilos’ value of compensation, and of households whose lives have been torn aside whereas they await an end result. This is unacceptable and we’re calling on the Home Office to maneuver rapidly to ship compensation for eligible Windrushees.”

A Home Office spokesman mentioned: “The Government remains absolutely committed to righting the wrongs of the Windrush scandal and making sure those affected receive the compensation they rightly deserve. We have paid more than £75 million in compensation and we continue to make improvements so people receive the maximum award as quickly as possible, whilst providing extensive support to help people access and apply to the compensation scheme.

“The scheme will stay open so long as it’s wanted, so no-one is prevented from making a declare. We are persevering with to achieve out to, and have interaction with, communities throughout the UK to encourage extra folks to return ahead, making certain they’ve appropriate data on whether or not they could be eligible and essential steerage to help their utility.”