Infected blood scandal victims are urging the Prime Minister to "resolve injustices" within the compensation scheme.
Campaigners and victims are demanding swift action to accelerate payments and address growing concerns, including criticism that the compensation body is requiring "unreasonably high standards of evidence".
A dossier containing handwritten letters and supporting documents is set to be handed into Downing Street on Wednesday by campaigners ahead of Andy Burnham’s first Prime Minister’s Questions.
The move follows the conclusion of the Infected Blood Inquiry earlier this year, which investigated what has been dubbed the worst treatment disaster in NHS history.
Between the 1970s and early 1990s, more than 30,000 people in the UK contracted HIV and hepatitis C after being given contaminated blood and blood products.
The scandal has led to more than 3,000 deaths, with survivors continuing to live with lifelong health implications.
A compensation scheme for victims was announced in 2024 with £11.8 billion allocated to compensate victims, administered by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA).
Figures from the IBCA show that to August 27, some 3,512 have had their compensation paid, with the combined payments totalling more than £2.2 billion.
But campaigners have said that only 17% of victims have been compensated.
And the Hepatitis C Trust said that some victims have been asked to provide “unreasonably high standards of evidence”, such as asking mothers to prove they lived with their children who died in order to start their claim.
The charity said for most, this evidence doesn’t exist or has been destroyed, meaning families are “stuck in a loop”.
It also highlighted “injustices or unnecessary complexities” that can lead to victims with largely similar experiences receiving vastly different payouts.
Campaigners had previously praised Mr Burnham for being a long-standing supporter of contaminated blood victims.
Glenn Wilkinson, organiser of the protest and founder of the Contaminated Blood Campaign, said: “Our community expected, and deserved, a compensation scheme that was straightforward to deliver and simple to understand.
“Instead, hepatitis victims in particular have been left with an unnecessarily complex scheme that requires an unreasonable level of mental gymnastics simply to navigate and process.
“(Chairman of the Inquiry) Sir Brian Langstaff made clear that ‘people affected by decisions need to be involved in them’. Yet, despite this fundamental principle, the Government deliberately excluded our community from engaging with its experts before the compensation scheme was designed and established.
“The result is a failing scheme that has imposed unnecessary complexity, distress and ongoing retraumatisation on the very people it was intended to compensate.”
An IBCA spokesperson said: “Those impacted by the infected blood scandal have waited decades for recognition and to receive the compensation they are due.
“We understand that records, particularly for events that happened decades ago, can be difficult to access or no longer exist.
“For this reason, we look at the balance of probabilities, and can accept evidence as true if it is more likely than not to have happened.
“Our claim managers also use a trauma-informed approach to work with the person claiming to help them gather information from a range of sources.
“As of August 25, we have asked 6,321 people to start their claim. We have paid 3,512 people more than £2.25 billion in compensation. We know we still have a long way to go.”
A Government spokesperson said: “Victims of the infected blood scandal have suffered a terrible injustice.
“The Infected Blood Inquiry coming to an end does not mean an end to our commitment to ensuring the community receives the support and compensation they deserve.
“We have listened and learned through constant engagement with the community to make changes to the scheme, while recognising the resolve of victims in their fight for justice.”
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