Windrush compensation claims taking five times longer to process than Home Office predicted, says NAO

Only one in 10 claims submitted since March 2020 have reached payment decision stages, finds watchdog

The National Audit Office (NAO) found that of the 1,033 applications submitted since March 2020, just 10 per cent have reached the payment decision stages

Windrush compensation claims are taking five times longer to process than the Home Office predicted, which is leading to lengthy delays for those affected by the scandal, a watchdog report has revealed.

The National Audit Office (NAO) found that of the 1,033 applications submitted since March 2020, only 10 per cent have reached the payment decision stages, and it has taken on average six months for claims to reach this stage. Overall, 70 per cent of claimants are yet to receive a payment.

The delays are coming about despite the fact that the Home Office has received only a fifth (19 per cent) of the claims it estimated it might receive since the Windrush Compensation Scheme was launched in April 2019 – at 2,163 compared with the 15,000 expected.