Infected Blood Compensation Scheme overview: Living infected persons
Published 12 February 2025
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/infected-blood-compensation-scheme/infected-blood-inquiry-compensation-scheme-overview-living-infected-persons
Below is a summary of information about the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme relevant to a person who is living with infection(s) or who has since recovered from an infection or infections. 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 | Supplementary route awards available? |
|---|---|---|
| Injury | Acute Hepatitis C: £10,000 All other infection severity bands: £60,000-£270,000 |
No |
| Social Impact | Acute Hepatitis C: £5,000 All other severity bands: £50,000-£70,000 |
No |
| Autonomy | Acute Hepatitis C: £10,000 All other severity bands: £40,000-£70,000 |
Yes - if eligible as a victim of unethical research |
| Care | Acute Hepatitis C: £500 All other severity bands: Approx £50,000- £680,000 |
Yes - where eligible, the Severe Health Condition award and Exceptional Loss award for higher care costs are available |
| Financial Loss | Acute Hepatitis C: £12,500 All other severity bands: £5,931 - £29,657 per annum |
Yes - where eligible, the Severe Health Condition award and Exceptional Loss award for higher financial loss are available |
A living infected person may also be eligible for compensation as an affected person. Further information can be found in section Compensation awards where an applicant has multiple claims.
What is the eligibility criteria for a living infected person?
A person will qualify for the Scheme as an infected person if they are:
A directly infected person includes someone who through the use of NHS-supplied blood, blood products and/or tissue:
- is/was infected with HIV;
- is/was infected with an acute or chronic case of Hepatitis C;
- is/was infected with a chronic case of Hepatitis B;
- was infected with an acute case of Hepatitis B and died as a result of the Hepatitis B infection during the acute period, including where the reactivation of Hepatitis B infection leading to acute liver failure and death within 12 months.
An indirectly infected person includes someone who was infected:
- by transmission of infection, in defined circumstances, from a person who is or was directly infected (e.g. a person infected by their partner);
- by transmission of infection, in defined circumstances, from a person who was infected by someone who was directly infected (e.g. a child infected by their mother who was infected by her partner).
Where a person who was previously either directly or indirectly infected (as described above) has since recovered or their infection has cleared, they will still be eligible to apply for compensation through the Scheme.
The Scheme will not have hard cut-off dates for determining whether a person is eligible for compensation based on when their infection was acquired. However, the evidence requirements will be higher where a person was infected after the introduction of screening of blood, blood products and tissue (see dates below). Further detail on evidence requirements will be made available in due course.
The dates the Scheme will acknowledge for the introduction of screening are:
i. HIV infection - November 1985
ii. Hepatitis C infection - September 1991
iii. Hepatitis B infection - December 1972
Are living infected people who are currently beneficiaries of Infected Blood Support Schemes (IBSS) eligible?
- All infected people who are beneficiaries of an IBSS or one or more of the Alliance House Organisations (AHOs) 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.
- Infected people registered with IBSS before 1 April 2025 will be able to continue to receive Support Scheme payments for life. These payments will be uplifted each year in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
- Support Scheme payments will continue to be paid to IBSS beneficiaries on an ex-gratia basis until 31 March 2025.
Will Support Scheme payments to living infected people have an impact on the awards made under the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme (IBCS)?
- Support Scheme payments received after 31 March 2025, will be taken into account when IBCA assesses an applicant’s future financial loss and future Care awards.
- 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 and past care paid as a lump sum or periodical payment over 5, 10 or 25 years.
- IBCA will compare the future Financial Loss award and future Care award under the Scheme with the person’s estimated Support Scheme payments up to their healthy life expectancy. Where the awards under the Scheme are higher than the estimated Support Scheme payments, the person will receive a ‘Support Scheme top up award’ which will be added to the compensation paid by IBCA. If the awards under the Scheme are lower, this will have no impact on the Support Scheme payments which will continue to be paid at the same rate, increasing annually in line with CPI.
- If preferred, an IBSS beneficiary may choose not to continue to receive support payments and to instead receive their future Financial Loss and Care award 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 living infected people under the Scheme?
There are three supplementary awards available to living infected people:
Autonomy award for victims of unethical research
- Additional Autonomy awards will be available through the supplementary route to recognise the suffering of victims subjected to unethical research practices. These awards are only available for infected people that have already been accepted onto the Scheme under the core route. Eligible applicants will receive the higher of:
- A flat rate award of £10,000 will be available to infected people (or their estates) who were victims of unethical research projects at a treatment centre or a participant in one of Dr Craske’s studies, or;
- A separate award of £15,000 will be available to all infected people (or their estates) who attended Lord Mayor Treloar College between 1970 and 1983 inclusive and who can therefore be assumed to have been subject to unethical research while at the College.
Severe Health Condition Award
- Additional compensation is available to eligible infected people who have suffered from a specified rare severe health condition as a result of their infection or treatment.
- This award will be for those who can evidence a rare, severe health condition above and beyond the health conditions accounted for by the core route.
Exceptional Loss award (Higher earned and paid for care costs)
- Where an eligible infected person has been more financially impacted as a result of their infection than the core route compensation is designed to compensate, infected people may be eligible to apply for an Exceptional Loss Care or Exceptional Financial Loss award.
- Exceptional Loss Care awards may be available for infected people who paid for past care (care received before 31 March 2025).
- Exceptional Financial Loss awards may be available when an infected person can provide evidence of being particularly high earners before their infection impacted their ability to earn.
Can a living infected person ‘return to the Scheme’ for reassessment?
There may be times where an infected person’s health deteriorates so that they change severity banding, or develop a new severe health condition. Depending on their exact circumstances and how much they have previously been awarded by IBCA, an infected person in this situation may be eligible for more compensation in recognition of the impact this health deterioration is likely to have on their future life. This is known as a ‘return to the Scheme’. Return to scheme can occur in two circumstances:
- Infection Severity band change: If an infected person’s health deteriorates and they are diagnosed with a new condition that changes their severity band, they will be able to return to the Scheme for reassessment.
- An infected person can return to the Scheme for reassessment as many times as their condition changes severity band. Return to scheme for a severity band change will result in a further core award payment. Return to scheme for a severity band change may also enable an infected person to apply for an Exceptional loss supplementary award. After their first application, an infected person will only be able to have their supplementary award reassessed once.
- Development of new Severe Health condition: If an infected person’s health deteriorates and they develop a new severe health condition (regardless of whether they were previously assessed to have a severe health condition), they will be able to return to the Scheme.
- Where an infected person develops a new severe health condition as a result of their infection, they can only return to the Scheme once.
How is compensation awarded through the Scheme paid to a living infected person?
- Compensation will be payable through a lump sum or series of regular payments (instalments) over 5, 10 or 25 years.
- If an eligible infected person is in receipt of regular support payments and/or compensation payment instalments at the time of their death, their support payments will stop and the outstanding balance of their total compensation award will be paid to the personal representative of their estate as a lump sum.
- Compensation received through instalments will be uplifted each year in line with CPI.
- On the request of an infected person, the compensation awarded for past care costs can be paid directly to the affected people who provided care to the infected person.
- Compensation payments made through the Scheme will not adversely impact means tested benefits received by people who are either infected or affected.
- 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 are available to infected people registered with the existing IBSS.
- 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 infected people
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 assessment based on the regulations for the Scheme.
Case study 1: Application by an infected person living with Hepatitis C and an autoimmune disorder who is an Infected Blood Support Scheme (IBSS) beneficiary.
Meera was infected with chronic Hepatitis C during a blood transfusion she received following childbirth in 1983.
As a result of interferon treatment for her Hepatitis C infection, Meera also developed an autoimmune disease, coombs positive haemolytic anaemia.
Meera currently receives IBSS support payments. Due to her autoimmune disease, Meera qualifies for England Infected Blood Support Schemes Special Category Mechanism (SCM) regular payments.
As a person living with chronic Hepatitis C, Meera is eligible for compensation as an infected person through the Scheme. As a living infected person registered on an IBSS scheme, Meera has already received interim compensation payments of £100,000 and £210,000. Meera’s application to the Scheme was assessed by IBCA in April 2025 and she opted to receive support scheme payments for life.
Summary of application:
Date of birth: 13 August 1960
Date of treatment which led to an infection: 15 March 1983
Date of diagnosis with coombs positive haemolytic anaemia: 4 January 1995
Healthy life expectancy: 88 (based on version 8 of the Ogden tables)
Infection severity band: Hepatitis C (chronic)
The table below shows Meera’s compensation award as an infected person.
| Category of infected person award | Value of compensation | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Injury | £60,000 | Award for infected person with Hepatitis C (chronic) |
| Social Impact | £50,000 | Award for infected person with Hepatitis C (chronic) |
| Autonomy | £40,000 | Award for infected person with Hepatitis C (chronic) |
| Past Financial Loss | £663,936.98 | Core and supplemental award |
| Past Care | £141,556.70 | Core and supplemental award |
| Interim Payments (deduction) | -£310,000 | Interim payments of £100,000 and £210,000 received |
| Total (not including support scheme payments) | £645,493.69 | This is the amount Meera will receive as either a lump sum or a periodic payment |
| Support scheme payment | £35,997 per annum | This is the 2025/26 rate, uprated for CPI every year. This includes winter fuel payment (£670). She will receive these payments for life. |
Case study 2: Application by an infected person living with HIV and chronic Hepatitis C who is an IBSS beneficiary
Henry was born with a bleeding disorder in 1970. He received infected blood products as a child in January 1983 during an unethical research study.
Henry currently lives with HIV and chronic Hepatitis C but has not developed liver cirrhosis. Henry currently receives IBSS support payments for co-infection with HIV and Hepatitis C Stage 1.
As a person living with an HIV and Hepatitis C co-infection, Henry is eligible for compensation through the Scheme. Henry is also eligible for an additional Autonomy award due to his suffering caused by unethical research. As a living infected person, Henry has already received interim compensation payments of £100,000 and £210,000. Henry’s application to the Scheme was assessed by IBCA in April 2025.
Summary of Henry’s application
Date of birth: 1 January 1970
Date of treatment which led to an infection: 8 January 1983
Date of first diagnosis (HIV): 1 May 1985
Date of confirmed diagnosis of HCV : 2nd February 1992
Healthy life expectancy date: 2054 (based on version 8 of the Ogden tables)
Infections severity band: HIV and Hepatitis C (chronic)
The table below shows Henry’s compensation award as an infected person.
| Category of infected person award | Value of compensation | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Injury | £195,000 | Award for infected person with HIV co-infection |
| Social impact | £70,000 | Award for infected person with HIV co-infection |
| Autonomy | £80,000 | Award for infected person with HIV co-infection, plus £10,000 under the supplementary route as victim of unethical research |
| Past Financial Loss | £1,042,807.17 | 43 years of financial loss at working age, plus a flat rate award of £12,500 for miscellaneous costs. |
| Past Care | £299,163.72 | Based on 14 years of past care for HIV and Hepatitis C co-infection. |
| Interim Payments (deduction) | -£310,000 | Interim payments of £100,000 and £210,000 received |
| Total (not including support scheme payments) | £1,376,970.89 | This is the amount Henry will receive as either a lump sum or a periodic payment |
| Support scheme payments | £48,622 per annum | This is the 2025/26 rate, uprated for CPI every year. This includes winter fuel payment (£670). He will receive these payments for life. |
Case study 3: Application by someone who is an affected partner and an infected person living with Hepatitis B
Sandy was infected with Hepatitis B and diagnosed with chronic infection in 1971. Sandy contracted chronic Hepatitis B from her partner who has been living with the infection since he received infected blood during a surgical procedure in 1968. Sandy’s partner joins the Scheme in the Chronic Infection Severity Band.
Sandy is not eligible for IBSS support payments. Sandy is eligible for compensation through the Scheme as an infected person, as well as an affected person through her relationship with her partner who was also infected.
Summary of Sandy’s application
Date of birth: 13 August 1952
Date of infection (from partner): 5 August 1971
Date of application to IBCA: 1 October 2025
Healthy life expectancy: 89 (based on version 8 of the Ogden tables)
Infection severity band: Hepatitis B (chronic)
The table below shows Sandy’s compensation award as an infected person:
| Category of infected person award | Value of compensation award as an infected person | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Injury | £60,000 | Award for infected person with Hepatitis B (chronic) |
| Social Impact | £50,000 | Award for infected person with Hepatitis B (chronic) |
| Autonomy | £40,000 | Award for infected person with Hepatitis B (chronic) |
| Financial Loss | £712,417 | 47 years of financial loss at working age rate and 24 years at pensionable age rate; plus £12,500 flat rate award for miscellaneous costs. |
| Care | £54,600 | Based on 10 years of care at ‘domestic support and ad hoc care’ rate |
| Total infected person award | £917,017 |
The table below shows Sandy’s compensation award as an affected person:
| Category of affected person award (Partner) | Value of compensation award as an affected person | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Injury | £34,000 | Injury award for partner of infected person with Hepatitis B (chronic) |
| Social Impact | N/A | Already received as part of first award |
| Autonomy | N/A | Already received as part of first award |
| Financial Loss | N/A | Affected person is not eligible for Financial Loss awards in their own right. |
| Care | N/A | Affected person is not eligible for the Care award. |
| Total affected person award | £34,000 |
Case Study 4: Application by a living person infected with Hepatitis B (cirrhosis) whose actual care costs exceeded the value of their care award under the core route.
Elaine was infected with Hepatitis B as a result of an infected blood product received during a blood transfusion. Elaine developed cirrhosis and sought additional commercial care to manage the impact of the infection.
As set out in the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme explainer on gov.uk, Elaine believed that her actual past care costs, specifically relating to the domestic support and ad hoc care she paid for, exceeded the amount that the Scheme paid under the core route, according to her infection severity band (£5,460 per annum for a period of 10 years).
When applying to the Scheme, Elaine therefore provided care receipts and invoices to apply specifically to one of the Supplementary Route Exceptional Loss Awards to recover the additional care costs she incurred.
Summary of Elaine’s application:
Elaine’s date of birth: 2 February 1959
Infection severity band: Hepatitis B (cirrhosis)
Date of infection: 7 July 1978
Year of Healthy Life Expectancy: 2046
Date applied to Scheme: 1 April 2025
The table below shows Elaine’s compensation award as an infected person:
| Category of infected person award | Value of core compensation | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Injury | £120,000 | Award for someone with a level 3 infection |
| Social Impact | £50,000 | Award for someone with a level 3 infection |
| Autonomy | £40,000 | Award for someone with a level 3 infection |
| Financial Loss | £730,198 | 47 years at working age rate and 22 years at retirement rate |
| Care | £228,556.86 | Core award for someone with a level 3 infection and £33,408.54 supplemental award |
| Total infected award | £1,168,754.86 |
Case study 5: Return to the scheme’ application for reassessment due to a health deterioration.
Hayley was infected with Hepatitis C and diagnosed with a chronic infection in 1971. Hayley was awarded a total of £917,017 when she applied to the Infected Blood Compensation Scheme (IBCS) on 1 April 2025 as an infected person, her original compensation was split into the below table:
| Category of infected person award | Value of compensation |
|---|---|
| Injury | £60,000 |
| Social Impact | £50,000 |
| Autonomy | £40,000 |
| Financial Loss | £712,417 |
| Care | £54,600 |
| Total infected award | £917,017 |
Hayley’s condition deteriorated and she was diagnosed with Hepatitis C (cirrhosis). Hayley returned to IBCA on 1 September 2028 for additional compensation due to her change in infection severity and the impact this health deterioration had on her life.
Summary of Hayley’s return to scheme application
Date of birth: 13 August 1952
Date of infection: 5 August 1971
Healthy life expectancy date (this date is calculated from her original application to IBCA): 2041
Infection severity band for original application to IBCA: Hepatitis C (chronic) (level 2 infection)
Date of diagnosis of severity change:1 October 2026
New infection severity band: Hepatitis C (cirrhosis) (level 3 infection)
Return to scheme: 1 September 2028
In addition to the original compensation Hayley received (in the table above), the following table shows Hayley’s additional compensation award after returning to the scheme due to a severity band change:
| Category of infected person award | Value of compensation (in addition to original compensation value from her first application to IBCA) | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Injury | £60,000 | Difference between award for someone with a level 2 and a level 3 infection |
| Social Impact | £0 | No increase in social impact award due to severity band increase |
| Autonomy | £0 | No increase in social impact award due to severity band increase |
| Financial Loss | £94,904 | Difference between award for someone with a level 2 and a level 3 infection |
| Care | £140,548.32 | Difference between award for someone with a level 2 and a level 3 infection |
| Total infected award | £295,452.32 |