Thank you for your email received on 2 April 2026, in which you made a request for access to certain information which may be held by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority.
As you may be aware, the purpose of the Act is to allow a general right of access to information held at the time of a request, by a Public Authority (including the Infected Blood Compensation Authority), subject to certain limitations and exemptions.
We have now had the opportunity to fully consider your request and we provide a response for your attention.
Following receipt of your request, searches were conducted with the Data Directorate and Operations Directorate of the Infected Blood Compensation Authority. We can confirm that the information you have requested is held by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority.
You asked the following
How many hepatitis B claims ONLY has IBCA paid out?
- How much was offered in those claims paid out for hepatitis B, if any?
- Without providing any confidential information, for example, personal details, how complex were these cases and how were they managed?
- Were any of these Hepatitis B claims paid out with or without a solicitor?
- How many outstanding Hepatitis B claims are still waiting to be contacted in the 75 years old and above priority group to make a claim?
- I would very much like the same information (see above) for Hepatitis C claims
Our response
We have now had the opportunity to fully consider your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and have provided a response for your attention below.
How many hepatitis B claims ONLY has IBCA paid out?
We have established that the information you requested is held by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority. Some of the information you requested is being withheld under section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act.
Section 40(2) exempts personal information from disclosure if that information relates to someone other than the applicant, and if disclosure of that information would, amongst other things, contravene one of the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation and section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018.
IBCA has considered the information and due to the extremely low numbers of individuals concerned, which are fewer than 10, disclosure would risk making them identifiable. Therefore, the number has been withheld under Section 40(2) of the FOIA.
In this case, we believe disclosure would contravene the first data protection principle, which provides that processing of personal data must be lawful, fair and transparent. We consider that disclosure of the information would contravene Principal A under article 5(1)(a) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which requires that personal data should be processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently. We have considered the legitimate interests being pursued in the request and that these interests could be met only by disclosure of the information. We have found that, on balance, the legitimate interest and necessity in disclosure are overridden by the reasonable expectations of privacy of the individuals concerned.
Section 40(2) is an absolute exemption and the Infected Blood Compensation Authority is not obliged to consider whether the public interest favours disclosing the information.
How much was offered in those claims paid out for hepatitis B, if any?
The amount offered in those claims paid sums to £4,286,961.06.
Without providing any confidential information, for example, personal details, how complex were these cases and how were they managed?
Subtle differences exist among the Hepatitis B claims processed so far and the focus is on individualised evidence gathering. The complexity mainly stems from these areas:
- Determining chronicity: One of the most significant challenges is confirming a chronic diagnosis, which requires clinical evidence of the infection lasting for at least 6 months. In instances where historical medical records are incomplete or missing, establishing this requires extensive investigative work.
- Infection event: There is a consistent challenge in securing evidence to link the infection to specific historical events. This requires reaching out to different sources, for example NHS trusts and other bodies to find evidence of a likely infection event whilst accounting for the significant passage of time since the initial exposure. In some cases, we sought advice from our clinical advisors to help reach a balance of probabilities decision on whether an infection was more likely than not.
Were any of these Hepatitis B claims paid out with or without a solicitor?
We can confirm that some Hepatitis B claims were paid out with a solicitor and some without.
How many outstanding Hepatitis B claims are still waiting to be contacted in the 75 years old and above priority group to make a claim?
There are 59 registrations still waiting to be contacted in the 75 years old and above priority group. This is under the assumption that all registered infected have been contacted, so this information regards only those that have registered their intent to claim with the organisation.
How many hepatitis C claims ONLY has IBCA paid out?
2796 Hepatitis C claims have been paid out by IBCA
How much was offered in those claims paid out for hepatitis C, if any?
The amount offered in those claims paid sums to £1,783,947,658.33.
Without providing any confidential information, for example, personal details, how complex were these cases and how were they managed?
Hepatitis C challenges stem from identifying and evidencing an infection event when evidence is lacking or conflicting. A significant proportion of cases involve infection events from the 1960s and 1970s, such as blood transfusions during C-sections. Because many medical sources have not retained records from this era, proving an exact infection event is difficult.
In claims where records are fragmented or contradictory, we performed a deep-dive analysis of available evidence to create a clear picture of the likely exposure. To bridge these gaps, we worked closely with clinical advisors to understand standard surgical and transfusion procedures of the time. This expert insight allows us to make informed decisions based on a balance of probabilities rather than relying solely on a direct paper trail.
Were any of these Hepatitis C claims paid out with or without a solicitor?
We can confirm that some Hepatitis C claims were paid out with a solicitor and some without. This comes to 1305 with a solicitor and 1491 without a solicitor.
How many outstanding Hepatitis C claims are still waiting to be contacted in the 75 years old and above priority group to make a claim?
There are 353 registrations still waiting to be contacted in the 75 years old and above priority group. This is under the assumption that all registered infected have been contacted, so this information regards only those that have registered their intent to claim with the organisation.