A reader asked the UK Minister how much compensation had been paid to vaccination injuries. This is the reply from the Minister:

Our ref: DE00000934644

Dear Mr. Or………..,

Thank you for your correspondence of 11 May to the Department of Health about compensation payments under the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS).  I have been asked to reply.
As you may be aware, the UK Government established the VDPS to provide a measure of financial help in those rare circumstances where it is established that severe disability was caused by a particular vaccination.

Payments made under the VDPS are not compensation, and this does not prejudice the right of the disabled person to pursue a claim for damages through the courts.  Payments do not seek to address all the financial implications of disablement, but is only one part of the wide range of help available to severely disabled people in the UK.  Those in receipt of VDPS payments remain eligible for state benefits.

Australia should have a vaccination compensation scheme

VDPS provides a tax-free, lump sum payment, now £120,000, for those who are severely disabled as a result of a vaccination against those diseases listed in the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 and those subsequently specified by statutory instrument.

Since 1979, a total of 6,069 claims have been received and 932 awards made, totalling £12.75million (initial amount paid) with £60.9million (top-up payments), as of 13 May 2015.

The UK Government has made several Orders since 1979 to increase the amount of the statutory sum awarded to eligible claimants.  In July 2000, the sum was increased from £40,000 to £100,000.  At that time, the then Secretary of State also made provision for an additional extra-statutory (top-up) payment to be made to all those that are awarded a statutory sum of less than £100,000 under the provisions of the
Appropriation Act to bring those awards up to a real terms equivalent of the £100,000 award.

In July 2007, an Order was made to increase the statutory sum from £100,000 to £120,000, which remains the current amount.  This amount is awarded for new claims made on or after 12 July 2007 that are successful.

The Department is unable to provide a breakdown of how many claims have been made in respect of swine flu or each particular disease.  This is because the claimant is advised to list all vaccinations on the claim form that they, or the disabled person, have received.  It is this information that is recorded on the Vaccine Damage Payment Unit’s database.

Although the claimant may cite a particular vaccination in the notes box on the claim form which they believe to have caused their disability, all vaccinations that have been administered that are included in the Act are taken into account during the medical assessment of the claim.  A number of vaccinations may be given in close proximity to each other, often on the same day, and it is not always possible to isolate a particular vaccination as being the cause of the claimed
resulting disability.

However, no payments have currently been made where swine flu has been listed amongst the vaccinations administered.

Further information about the VDPS can be found at:

Click to access Green_Book_Chapter_10_v1_1.pdf

I hope this reply is helpful.

Yours sincerely,

Neil Achary
Ministerial Correspondence and Public Enquiries
Department of Health

 

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