Infected Blood Compensation Scheme overview: Bereaved partners of infected people
Published 12 February 2025
© Crown copyright 2025
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/infected-blood-compensation-scheme/infected-blood-compensation-scheme-overview-bereaved-partners-of-infected-people
Below is a summary of information about the Scheme relevant to bereaved partners of infected people. The information provided in this summary is relevant to applicants across all four UK nations. This should be read in conjunction with the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme Summary.
| Category of Award | Core route awards payable to bereaved partners | Supplementary route awards available? |
|---|---|---|
| Injury | £34,000- £86,000 | No |
| Social Impact | £12,000 | No |
| Autonomy | £16,000 | No |
| Care | Not available for affected people in their own right Care awards can be paid directly to affected people on the request of an infected person or their estate representative |
No |
| Financial Loss | Available if the applicant was the partner of the infected person at their time of death £16,682 per annum (£8,341 per annum where the infected person would have been 66 or older) |
No |
What is the eligibility criteria for bereaved partners of a deceased infected person?
Bereaved partners of deceased infected people include:
- spouses;
- civil partners;
- partners who cohabited with an eligible infected person for at least one year following infection.
Where an eligible infected person had more than one partner during the course of their infection, all partners who meet the above definition will be eligible for compensation in their own right.
Partners who separated from the eligible infected person prior to infection will not be eligible for compensation.
All bereaved partners who are beneficiaries of an IBSS or Alliance House Organisations (AHO) scheme will automatically be considered eligible for the Scheme. Beneficiaries of an IBSS or AHO scheme may be required to provide some additional information in order for the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) to determine their compensation award.
Will Support Scheme payments to bereaved partners of a deceased infected person have an impact on awards made under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme (IBCS)?
- Bereaved partners registered with IBSS before 31 March 2025 will be able to continue to receive Support Scheme payments for life. These payments will rise each year in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
- Support payments will continue to be paid to IBSS beneficiaries on an ex-gratia basis until 31 March 2025.
- Support Scheme payments received after 31 March 2025 will be taken into account when IBCA assesses an applicant’s future financial loss. Any compensation received through an estate claim of a deceased infected person will not impact a bereaved partner’s future support payments.
- For an IBSS beneficiary who chooses to continue to receive Support Scheme payments for life, they will receive a compensation award which covers an Injury Impact, Social Impact and Autonomy award, as well as past financial loss as a lump sum or periodical payment over 5, 10 or 25 years.
- If preferred, an IBSS beneficiary may choose not to continue to receive support payments and to instead receive their future Financial Loss as part of their total compensation package under the core route in the same way as someone who is not an IBSS beneficiary, payable by lump sum or periodic payments over 5, 10 or 25 years.
What supplementary awards are available to bereaved partners of a deceased infected person?
There are no supplementary awards available for bereaved partners.
How is money received through compensation awards by bereaved partners managed?
- Compensation will be payable through a lump sum or series of regular payments (instalments) over 5, 10 or 25 years.
- Compensation received through instalments will be uplifted each year in line with CPI.
- Compensation payments made through the Scheme to infected and affected people will not adversely impact means tested benefits.
- Compensation payments made under the Scheme will be exempt from income, capital gains and inheritance tax. This is in line with tax exemptions for the first and second interim payments.
What next?
- Information on how to apply for interim compensation payments is available. Interim compensation payments may be available to bereaved partners registered with the existing IBSS where this has not previously been paid to an infected beneficiary or their estate.
- Information on registering for existing Support Schemes is available. Applications to the Infected Blood Support Schemes will close on 31 March 2025.
- The latest information on applying for compensation through the Scheme can be read on the IBCA website. Sign up to IBCA’s mailing list for the latest updates on the Scheme as it develops.
Case studies for bereaved partners
The case studies below are example scenarios. The names, dates of birth and other clinical details are fictitious and have been created to illustrate the principles of the Scheme. These case studies aim to help illustrate how compensation is calculated in different possible scenarios. Whether an applicant is eligible for compensation and what level of compensation they are eligible to receive will be dependent on IBCA’s assessment based on the regulations for the Scheme.
Case study 9: Application by an affected person widowed after the death of a spouse from HIV and Hepatitis C and the personal representative of the estate.
Karin’s husband, Paul, died after being infected during a blood transfusion with HIV and Hepatitis C during an NHS hospital procedure. Paul was diagnosed with HIV in 1986 and Hepatitis C in 1993. Paul was registered with Alliance House organisations.
As a bereaved partner, Karin currently receives IBSS support payments. Karin is also eligible for compensation through the Scheme as an affected person. Karin has received £100,000 in interim compensation payments for bereaved partners in 2024.
As the personal representative and sole beneficiary of Paul’s estate, Karin will also receive compensation which is awarded through her husband’s estate. The estate previously received a £100,000 interim compensation payment.
Summary of Karin’s application as a bereaved partner:
Paul’s date of birth: 4 April 1950
Date of treatment which led to Paul’s infection: 6 September 1984
Date of Paul’s diagnosis (HIV): 17 June 1986
Date of Paul’s death: 23 November 1998
Paul’s infection severity band: HIV and Hepatitis C (cirrhosis)
Compensation award to Karin as an affected partner:
| Category of affected person award (partner) | Value of compensation award as an affected person | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Injury | £86,000 | Award for affected partner where infected person had HIV co-infection |
| Social Impact | £12,000 | Award for affected partner where infected person had HIV co-infection |
| Autonomy | £16,000 | Award for affected partner where infected person had HIV co-infection |
| Past Financial Loss | £347,374.58 | Eligible for 26 years and three months of partner dependency payments. |
| Care | N/A | Affected persons are not eligible for the Care award |
| Interim Payments (deduction) | -£100,000 | Interim payments of £100,000 received by the bereaved partner |
| Total (Not including support scheme payments) | £361,374.58 | This is the amount Karin will receive as either a lump sum or a periodic payment |
| Support scheme payments | £42,308.50 | This is the 2025/26 rate, uprated for CPI every year. This includes winter fuel payment (£670). She will receive these payments for life. |
Compensation award to Paul’s estate:
| Category of infected person award (estate) | Value of compensation award as an estate | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Injury | £240,000 | Award for HIV co-infection |
| Social Impact | £70,000 | Award for HIV co-infection |
| Autonomy | £70,000 | Award for HIV co-infection |
| Financial Loss | £442,527 | Eligible for 2 years of financial loss at pre-diagnosis rate, and 13 years at ‘following diagnosis’ rate. Plus £12,500 flat rate award for miscellaneous costs. |
| Care | £472,962.47 | Based on 15 years of care for HIV at past care rate (i.e. current commercial rate minus 25%) |
| Total estate award | £1,295,489.47 |
Case study 10: Application by a bereaved partner after the death of an infected partner from Hepatitis B
Christian’s partner, Max, was infected with Hepatitis B in 1971 following an infected blood transfusion after a major road traffic accident. He developed a chronic infection and died from terminal liver cancer in 1986.
As the bereaved partner of an infected person, Christian is eligible for compensation as an affected person. Christian does not qualify for support payments through existing IBSS.
As the personal representative and sole beneficiary of Max’s estate, Christian will also receive compensation which is awarded through his partner’s estate.
Summary of Christian’s application
Max’s date of birth: 19 August 1941
Date of treatment which led to Max’s infection: 10 February 1971
Date of Max’s death: 2 October 1986
Max’s infection severity band: Hepatitis B (liver cancer)
Healthy Life Expectancy: 85
Compensation award to Christian as an affected partner:
| Category of affected person award (bereaved partner) | Value of compensation award as an affected person | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Injury | £86,000 | Award for partner of infected person with Hepatitis B (liver cancer) |
| Social Impact | £12,000 | Award for partner of infected person with Hepatitis B (liver cancer) |
| Autonomy | £16,000 | Award for partner of infected person with Hepatitis B (liver cancer) |
| Financial Loss | £667,280 | Financial loss award calculated from date of Max’s death to Max’s Healthy Life Expectancy (total 40 years) at £16,682 per annum. |
| Care | £0 | Affected persons are not eligible for the Care award. |
| Total affected person award | £781,280 |
Compensation award due to Max’s estate:
| Category of award | Value of compensation award | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Injury | £180,000 | Award for Hepatitis B (liver cancer) |
| Social Impact | £50,000 | Award for Hepatitis B (liver cancer) |
| Autonomy | £50,000 | Estate award for Hepatitis B (liver cancer) |
| Financial Loss | £344,662 | Financial Loss award calculated from the date of infection to date of death (total 16 years), all calculated at working age. Plus a flat rate award of £12,500 for miscellaneous costs. |
| Care | £318,683.81 | Based on 16 years of care for Hepatitis B (liver cancer) calculated at past care rate (i.e. current commercial rate minus 25%). |
| Total award for Max’s estate | £943,345.81 |