Financial redress for survivors of child abuse in care: key developments and information updates
Information updates on financial redress for survivors of child abuse in care.
Below is a summary of key developments and links to information updates:
- the Deputy First Minister of Scotland made a statement to Parliament on 23 October 2018 in which he committed to establish a financial redress scheme for survivors of abuse in care. He also offered an unreserved and heartfelt apology on behalf of the Scottish Government to all those who were abused as children while in care.
- He was responding to recommendations from a Review Group which had consulted and engaged widely on redress. It recommended that a redress scheme should be set up by legislation before the end of the Parliamentary term in March 2021. It also recommended that advance payments should be made as soon as possible to survivors who might not live long enough to apply to the statutory scheme due to either ill-health or age. Both of these recommendations were taken forward, and more information is provided below
- the Advance Payment Scheme opened on 25 April 2019. It is for those who suffered abuse in care in Scotland before December 2004 and either have a terminal illness or are age 68 or over
- The legislation to support the Government’s commitment to a statutory redress scheme in Scotland was introduced in August 2020 and passed unanimously by Parliament on 11 March 2021: It received Royal Assent on 23 June 2021 and became the Redress for Survivors (Historical Child Abuse in Care) (Scotland) Act
Please note the redress scheme is not yet open for applications, but work is underway to ensure that it will open as soon as possible - by December 2021 at the latest (subject to the agreement of Redress Scotland).
Information note published in March sets out some key features of the Redress Scheme
Information notes published in May and in October set out what work is happening now to prepare for the scheme opening.
Previous information notes are available in our website archive.
You can contact us by
- phoning 0808 169 9740 and leaving us a message. Please leave your name and number and we will phone you back as soon as we can. As the team is working from home, the answerphone is permanently on.
- email enquiries about the redress scheme: redress@gov.scot
- email enquiries about Advance Payments: AdvancePaymentTeam@gov.scot
- we are not currently able to offer meetings in person
Support
If you wish to report your abuse, contact Police Scotland on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
If you wish to tell the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry about your abuse, contact them on 0800 092 9300 or email talktous@childabuseinquiry.scot
If you need support, contact Future Pathways on 0808 164 2005 or email registration@future-pathways.co.uk
If you find you are distressed you can contact Breathing Space free of charge on 0800 83 85 87 or the Samaritans free of charge on 116 123.
Contact
Email enquiries about the statutory scheme: redress@gov.scot
Email enquiries about Advance Payments: AdvancePaymentTeam@gov.scot
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