Thank you for your request for information about the following:

Request

Please provide the total number of payouts under the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme and their value from 2021 to as recently as records exist, ideally November 2024.

This data should be broken down for the number of payouts each year, with total value of payouts in each with grand totals for each.

The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) received your request on 22 November 2024. We updated this response on 10 January 2025.

We have handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000.

Our response

I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested and a copy of the information is attached, although exemptions apply as explained below.

The number of awards paid in 2021 was fewer than five, so we have grouped the figures for 2021 and 2022 together.

Please read the below notes to ensure correct understanding of the data.

Please note that the figures provided are for the number of awards which have been paid, not the number of awards communicated. There may therefore be awards that have not been paid yet because we are waiting for further information from the claimant. For example, their bank details.

Each awarded Vaccine Damage Payment is a one-off, tax-free payment of £120,000. A Vaccine Damage Payment is not compensation. Visit GOV.UK at the below web link for more information about the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme.

https://www.gov.uk/vaccine-damage-payment

Fewer than five

This is because the claimants could be identified, when combined with other information that may be in the public domain or reasonably available. Online communities exist for those adversely affected by vaccines they have received. This further increases the likelihood that those may be identified by disclosure of this information.

This information falls under the exemption in section 40 subsections 2 and 3A (a) of the FOIA.

This is because it would breach the first data protection principle as:

a) it is not fair to disclose claimant personal details to the world and is likely to cause damage or distress.

b) these details are not of sufficient interest to the public to warrant an intrusion into the privacy of the claimant.

Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/40

Breach of patient confidentiality

Please note that the identification of claimants is also a breach of the common law duty of confidence. A claimant who has been identified could make a claim against the NHSBSA for the disclosure of the confidential information.

The information requested is therefore being withheld as it falls under the exemption in section 41(1) ‘Information provided in confidence’ of the FOIA.

Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/41

Data Queries

Please contact foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference if you have any specific questions regarding this response; or, if you feel you may be misunderstanding or misinterpreting the information; or, if you plan on publishing the data.

Reusing the data and copyright

If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented.

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “NHSBSA Copyright 2024” Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence.

Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information.