Home Office responds to our request for comment
This comes four days after we released the first episode of our four-part series
The Home Office has finally responded to our request for comment for part one of our four-part series.
On Sunday, part one revealed how Vanderbilt McIntosh, a former paint maker who lost his 12-year career as a result of the Windrush scandal was then awarded £1,147 for loss of employment. He was written to about the award in February this year after five years of being denied a penny of compensation.
Here’s a snippet of Vandebilt recalling how he was informed of the amount.
Now, the Home Office has responded to our request for comment a week after we sent it stating that they are “committed righting the wrongs of the past.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The Home Office Windrush Scandal is one of the most shameful events in this country’s history, and we are committed to righting the wrongs of the past, to ensure the grave injustices victims faced never happen again.
“As at the end of February, the Windrush Compensation Scheme has already paid over £125 million across 3,913 claims, and in January major reforms to the scheme came into effect, offering greater compensation for victims and faster decisions for over 75s.
“This government also established a £1.5 million Advocacy Support Fund, giving trusted community groups the funding they need to help people with their claims.”
Since releasing the first episode of our series, the public response has been intense. If you follow me on Twitter & Threads @melissasigodo or @TheCommunityreporter on Instagram, you will have seen the countless comments and the strength of feeling in response to the Vanderbilt’s story.
The public response truly highlights the importance of the work we are doing to shed a light on the dark and to hold power to account. These stories cannot go unheard and it is fundamental that we ensure they don’t. The Windrush scandal and the issue of citizenship should matter to all of us.
Part two of our four-part series drops this Sunday so be sure to look out for that.
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