Information on Redress

Commissioner Statement on End of Redress

Applications to the Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Scheme closed on 2 April 2025. 

Following the closure of the Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Scheme for victims and survivors on 2 April 2025, Commissioner Fiona Ryan said: 

First and foremost, I want to acknowledge the strength and courage of all survivors of non-recent/historical institutional child abuse, including those who chose to share their experiences as children in institutions during the process of applying for redress compensation. As an Office we have sought to engage as many victims and survivors as possible and have carried out awareness raising initiatives in Northern Ireland and Britain to reach victims and survivors who might be unsure or unaware of their entitlements. 

My Office has supported 1182 individual victims and survivors since we first opened in December 2020. Many victims and survivors shared their experiences with us in the context of accessing information on redress compensation and how to apply. It has been a privilege to support victims and survivors in this way and we as a team are grateful for the opportunity. We would also like to thank colleagues whom we worked with to ensure victims and survivors received the necessary supports they needed to apply for financial redress compensation.

I am conscious that many victims and survivors have passed, many before their time, many of whom never even had the opportunity to apply for redress or receive supports, their lives and too often their deaths, shaped by their experiences of being abused as children in institutions in Northern Ireland. I am conscious that there may well be survivors who are unaware of the financial redress scheme and specialist dedicated supports and others still who made the decision not to apply for financial redress compensation. 

It is important then to underline that even as the financial redress scheme closed for applications on 2 April 2025, services and supports will remain for victims and survivors including those supports offered by the Victims and Survivors Service (VSS). Services and supports are available to victims and survivors of Northern Ireland historical institutional child abuse whether they reside here or elsewhere or whether they applied for redress or not. 

We look forward to continuing to advocate for ongoing supports and services for all victims and survivors and connecting them with services if they choose. As part of these ongoing advocacy efforts, in the coming months we will provide the results of our consultation with victims and survivors on services and use this as a basis to engage with services around supports to victims and survivors.  

Compensation

Decisions on Compensation

The Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Board closed on 2 April 2025. The Redress Board was responsible for receiving and processing applications for compensation while the scheme was operational to those who experienced abuse in residential institutions in Northern Ireland between 1922 and 1995. 

All applications received on or before the 2 April 2025 will continue to be progressed in accordance with the provisions of the above Act and the Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Board (Applications and Appeals) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2020.

A Redress Board panel, which consists of one judicial member and two non-judicial members with a health and social care background, will consider the information in your application and any additional relevant evidence you wish to provide. Your solicitor may advise and assist you with this.

How much compensation will I receive?

If your application is successful, the Redress Board panel may decide to award you a standard payment of £10,000 or an enhanced payment, based on the severity of the matters in your application, of up to a maximum of £80,000. If you were sent to Australia under the Child Migrant Programme and you have not already been awarded compensation under the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) scheme, you will receive £20,000.

Will I be able to get an advance payment or interim award?

You can indicate if you would like to receive an advance or interim payment when you make your application. This will be paid in situations where the redress panel agree that your application is successful, but more time is needed to fully determine the application. The amount of the interim payment is £10,000 which may be increased once the panel complete their determination.

What is the difference between an interim award and a standard award?

An interim award may be paid if the redress panel agree that your application is successful, but more time is needed to fully determine the application. The amount of an interim payment is £10,000 which may be increased once the panel complete their determination. However, a standard award of £10,000 is final and you will not be offered a further amount as the panel have completed their determination. The redress panel will use the information included in your application to make their determination on whether you will be offered a standard award of £10,000 or an enhanced award of between £10,001 and £80,000.

How long will it take the panel to decide how much compensation I should receive?

The time taken to process an application will vary for a number of reasons including; the complexity of the matters identified in the application; the availability and accuracy of records; the status of the institution; queries around jurisdiction, the behaviours of the parties, and whether all of the necessary statutory proofs and evidentiary documentation required under the Rules have been submitted with the application. The length of time it takes to decide will also depend on the complexity of your application and the volume of applications received.

How is compensation paid?

An Award Acceptance Form will be sent out along with the Determination Notification.  You will have 21 days from the date the letter was issued to accept or appeal your award. The form requests the details of the bank account into which money is to be paid. This can either be your own bank account or your solicitor’s bank account.

Appeal

What happens if I am unhappy about the decision, either not to pay compensation or the amount of money awarded?

You can appeal the decision of the panel. A single judicial member of the Redress Board will consider the appeal on behalf of the Board and may decide to confirm the panel’s decision, reverse the decision or increase or reduce the amount of the award of compensation.

Cost

Will I need to pay legal costs?

The Redress Board will pay your legal representative’s costs as set out in the Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Board (Applications and Appeals) Rules (Northern Ireland) 2020 (see in particular the tables of scale costs in the Schedule). This is the secondary legislation that sets out the procedures that the Board must follow when processing applications.

I receive means-tested benefits; will these be affected if I also receive a redress award?

Any means-tested benefit you receive will not be affected by compensation you receive from the Redress Board. As it is a change in circumstance, you should declare it to the relevant benefits office, but it will be disregarded as part of means-testing. So your benefits will not change because of any redress award you receive. Legislation to provide similar financial protection for Northern Ireland redress recipients now living in Great Britain and in receipt of means-tested benefits was passed on 10 December 2021. If you live outside of the UK and you receive compensation from the Northern Ireland Redress Board, you may wish to consider any impact on your finances, and it may be useful to speak to your solicitor or a financial adviser.

Contact Information

How do I contact the Redress Board?

There is much more information available on the Redress Board’s website or you can contact the Board at: