First year sees 417 advance payments to abuse survivors

A total of 417 claimants benefited from the advance payment scheme for survivors of historical childhood abuse in care in its first year of operation, the Scottish Government announced today.

Under the scheme, which opened on 25 April 2019, claimants who are terminally ill, or aged 68 or over, can receive an initial £10,000, ahead of planned legislation for a statutory redress scheme, which ministers intend will pass its final parliamentary stages before March 2021.

The number of claims appears in the first annual report on the Advance Payment Scheme. It also reveals that 90% of applications were submitted on ground of age, and that the majority were approved within 22 days. Around 8% were ineligible either in relation to age, not being confirmed as terminally ill or not being in care in Scotland.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney commented: “I am pleased that more than 400 people have received an advance payment. We continue to do everything possible to help survivors and their families apply to the scheme by ensuring a simple application process. I am particularly pleased by the positive feedback we have received on the process from survivors and survivors' groups.

“While clearly nothing can take away the pain that individuals have suffered, the scheme, together with other actions we are taking, will go some way towards acknowledging the grievous harm inflicted on them when they were most vulnerable.”