Launch of Advance Payments for survivors of abuse in care
The Deputy First Minister John Swinney made a statement in Parliament on 25 April 2019 and launched the Advance Payment Scheme for survivors of abuse which occurred in care in Scotland, who are aged 70 years or over, and for those who are terminally ill.
The Advance Payment Scheme comes ahead of the planned legislation for a statutory redress scheme for survivors of abuse in care in Scotland, which the Scottish Government intends will pass its final Parliamentary stages before March 2021.
The payments have been set at a flat rate of £10,000 and will be ex gratia and discretionary.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney told Parliament:
"We wholeheartedly accept the need to provide acknowledgement and tangible recognition of the harm done to children who were abused in care in Scotland, while acknowledging that such recognition cannot in any way take away the pain that individuals have suffered.
"We are all too aware that, because of their age or health, some survivors may not live long enough to apply to the statutory scheme.
"Survivors asked us to develop an application process which is as straightforward as possible, whilst making the scheme robust and credible. This is what we have designed."