COVID-19 NHS Staff Compensation

Families of NHS and social care staff who die from coronavirus will each receive a £60,000 lump sum payment.

This compensation will also apply for deaths occurring before the scheme came into effect on 20 May 2020 under the National Health Service and Social Care Coronavirus Life Assurance Scheme 2020.

The life assurance benefits are in recognition of the increased risks faced by frontline staff.

The scheme covers a wide range of health and social care workers including GP`s, nurses, dentists, cleaners, porters, employees of publicly funded care homes, directly employed carers and frontline social workers.  It will cover full and part-time staff who provide hands-on personal care for people who have contracted coronavirus or work in health or care settings where the virus is present.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said:

“Nothing can make up for the tragic loss of a loved one during this pandemic. We owe a huge debt to those who die in service to our nation and are doing everything we can to protect them.

“Financial worries should be the last thing on the minds of their families so in recognition of these unprecedented circumstances we are expanding financial protection to NHS and social care workers delivering publicly funded care on the frontline”.

However, the scheme is time-limited and will only continue for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. This time will be measured by how long the NHS workforce provisions remain in force under the Coronavirus Act 2020.

The Secretary of State will provide notice when the scheme is to end. The compensation will be paid by the government.

Employers will be asked to initiate claims on behalf of the deceased.

Full details of the scheme and the eligibility criteria can be found here https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/scheme-information-claimants

It will usually be necessary to extract a grant of probate or grant of letters of administration to make a claim.

If you require help or advice with extracting a grant of probate please contact our specialist private client team on 01827 311411.

Rutherfords LLP is registered to make online probate applications.

Contact us on: 01827 311 411 or [email protected]