Received from: TUC Black Workers Conference
Congress notes with concern that the Windrush Compensation Scheme is ‘not fit for purpose’ given that only 1 per cent of appeals are successful. Figures revealed through a Freedom of Information request showed that out of 3,479 claimant appeals in 2021, only 42 resulted in a settlement.
Congress notes this low appeal success rate is unsurprising given that the Windrush scandal was perpetrated by the Home Office, and by having them run the Compensation Scheme is like marking their own homework. These figures show the need for an inquiry into the scandal and for taking the compensation scheme out of the government’s hands and having it run by an independent body.
Congress therefore calls for:
i. a statutory judge-led public inquiry into how the Windrush scandal came about and the failings of the compensation scheme
ii. the Windrush Compensation Scheme to be run independently of the Home Office
iii. a Windrush Act that will place a duty on public bodies to reduce race disparities in areas such as education, criminal justice, work, health, and community cohesion.
This legislation to also establish a commonwealth community cohesion fund to tackle disparities and rebuild social and economic ties of communities damaged by the Windrush scandal.
TUC Black Workers Conference