Government to set aside billions for victims of infected blood and Post Office scandals

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced £11.8 billion to compensate those impacted by the infected blood scandal, and £1.8 billion to compensate the victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal.

In the first Labour budget since 2010 – and the first ever delivered by a woman – Ms Reeves promised to “invest, invest, invest”. But she said the “black hole” left by the Conservatives required tens of billions of additional taxes.

Ms Reeves accused the previous government of having "failed to budget for costs which they knew would materialise".

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"That includes funding for vital compensation schemes for victims of two terrible injustices: the infected blood scandal and the Post Office Horizon scandal," she told MPs in the House of Commons.

“The Leader of the Opposition rightly made an unequivocal apology for the injustice of the infected blood scandal on behalf of the British state, but he did not budget for the costs of compensation.

“Today, for the very first time, we will provide specific funding to compensate those infected and those affected, in full with £11.8 billion in this Budget.

“I am also today setting aside £1.8 billion to compensate victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal, redress that is long overdue for the pain and injustice that they have suffered.”