Thank you for your request for information about the following:

An NHS BSA response to a previous FOI request reveals the number of claims to the VDPS due to an adverse reaction to a covid vaccine as of 10 January. I am seeking up to date figures on this.

1) To date, how many claims have been made to the VDPS due to an adverse reaction to a covid vaccine?

2) To date, how many claims for VDPS related to a covid vaccine have been successful?

3) To date, how many claims for VDPS related to a covid vaccine have been rejected / unsuccessful?

4)How many claims for VDPS related to a covid vaccine are still waiting a decision?

5) How much money has been paid out in total through the VDPS related Covid vaccine claims?

6) How many claims for VDPS related to a covid vaccine have been waiting over 12 months for a decision?

7) Can you give a breakdown of how many claims are related to the death of another person (on behalf of someone who died as a result of the Covid-19 vaccine) and how many were requested by individuals who were left severely disabled by the Covid-19 vaccine?

Your request was received on 16 May and I am dealing with it under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Response

All data correct as of 22 May 2023. All data relates to claims received by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) and those transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 1 November 2021. All figures provided below relate to COVID-19 vaccines.

1. 5,708 claims have been received by the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS).

2. 96 claimants have been notified they are entitled to a Vaccine Damage Payment.

3. 1,614 claims have been rejected, and a further 109 did not meet the criteria for medical assessment.

4. 3,889 claims have not yet reached an outcome. In some cases, this is because we have not received medical records for the claimant from the healthcare providers listed on their claim form. A medical assessment can only commence once we have full medical records.

5. The VDPS provides a one-off tax free payment, currently £120,000, to successful applicants where, on very rare occasions, a vaccine has caused severe disablement. Of the 96 claimants that have been notified they are entitled to a Vaccine Damage Payment, 72 claimants have received their payment. Therefore £8,640,000 has been paid to claimants.

6. 547 claims were received more than 12 months ago and have not yet reached an outcome. As part of the process of the scheme, we need a full set of medical records for each claimant, and it can take time for the claimant’s healthcare providers to gather and securely supply copies of these records. Once sent for assessment, the time it takes for the independent medical assessor to review a claim can vary from case to case depending on the individual circumstances of each claim.

7. To qualify for a Vaccine Damage Payment, all claimants must establish that, on the balance of probabilities, a vaccine caused severe disability. Of the 5,708 claims, 430 have been received on behalf of someone who has died.

Data Queries

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