Thank you for your email received on the 1st of July 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.
Following receipt of your request, searches were conducted with the HR and Strategy directorates of the Infected Blood Compensation Authority. We can confirm that some of the information you have requested is held by the Infected Blood Compensation Authority.
You asked the following
- What is the total establishment of claims handlers that is funded?
- How many claims handlers are now in post? Conflicting information has been given about this recently since IBCA stopped including this information in its regular updates?
- What is the plan and timescale to recruit to establishment?
- What is the timescale for IBCA to complete all currently registered claims in all categories?
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.
- 400 claim handlers (Claims Managers) are currently budgeted for in 2026/7. This was confirmed in the Public Board meeting on the 6th July 2026.
- As of the end of June, there were 313 claim handlers (Claims Managers) in post.
- A recruitment campaign recently reached its conclusion, with the final interviews taking place on 3 July 2026. This specific exercise covers 52 vacancies. By utilising candidates from this round, a prior 2026 campaign, and a reserve list from 2025 (valid for 12 months), the organisation expects to reach the establishment of 400 during autumn 2026.
- IBCA does not currently have a definitive date for completing all currently registered claims in all categories. However, to help explain how we process claims in accordance with our agreement with the Cabinet Office, we have provided the following information.
A framework agreement exists between the Cabinet Office and ourselves. Within this document, there is an expectation to complete the bulk of payments to the infected by no later than 2027, and the bulk of payments to the affected by no later than 2029.
The Business Plan for the current financial year was agreed at Public Board on 7 July and was published on our website as part of the Board papers pack. The Business Plan states:
'For 2026/27, our ambition is to take 5000 claims to decision over the course of the financial year. To meet this goal, we will focus on processing these infected claims as a priority and will begin all claims for both living and the estates of deceased infected people who have registered their intent to claim compensation with us by 7 July 2026, as well as a number of affected claims.'