The Windrush Compensation scheme is failing
Only 3 out of 20 victims of the Windrush scandal Praxis surveyed have received compensation
Out of 20 people surveyed, only 8 have been able to apply, and just 3 have received compensation through the scheme launched in April 2019.
We continue to receive ‘Windrush’ referrals from homelessness services - people who are struggling to prove their rights to basic services, let alone compensation.
Windrush drove many people into long-term homelessness and they face a legacy of vulnerabilities including severe mental and physical health challenges.
Those surveyed by Praxis have not applied for compensation because they didn’t know they could, or didn’t know how to. Some worry that, although they have experienced substantial losses as a result of the scandal, they don’t have enough evidence to meet the Home Office’s high burden of proof. Still others are facing health issues that prevent them from engaging with this system entirely. Our data underlines official Home Office statistics, which indicate that less than half of those thought to be eligible have applied for compensation and just 11% have actually received compensation (Home Office, March 2023).
Sally Daghlian, Praxis’ CEO, had this to say:
“This compensation scheme only adds serious insult to serious injury for those whose lives have has been devastated by the Windrush scandal. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the department that shredded thousands of lives is now failing at compensating its victims for the hardship they had to endure. The compensation scheme should be removed from the hands of the Home Office and managed by an independent body working closely with the communities affected, providing a simplified and speedy process with expert, independent representation available for claimants.”
Fitzroy Maynard (pictured right), a victim of the scandal whose compensation claim has been pending for years, had this to say:
“Every time the Home Office asks for evidence, I have to relive the trauma they put me through. It’s so painful to revisit those memories time and time again. The Home Office should never have been put in charge to look after the compensation scheme themselves They should stop taking so long in processing claims - it feels that they have no intention to pay people their full due, and that they just want to wear us down. This is what is happening with me, after so many years I am disheartened, but I am still going to fight.”
Hear more about Fitzroy’s experience in the interview below:
Video sourced from ITV news
*We surveyed 20 current and former clients about their experiences of the compensation scheme between 15 May and 15 June 2023. These are a sample of people affected by the Windrush scandal who, starting from 2015, Praxis supported in obtaining vital documents proving their right to work, rent, have a bank account, use the NHS and access other vital support. The majority of these individuals had become street homeless as a result of the scandal, or were in otherwise very vulnerable circumstances, including facing severe mental health issues, when they first came to Praxis. Although we supported them in regularizing their status, we did not have the capacity or expertise to support people with applications for compensation.
The fight for justice continues. With your support, we fight for migrant rights.