A BRADFORD MP is calling on the Government to “right some wrongs” and speed up the process of the Windrush Compensation Scheme.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Naz Shah, Labour MP for Bradford West, said it is time to “provide justice” for the Windrush generation, amid the fact that only five per cent of applicants to the scheme had so far received compensation.

The Windrush Compensation Scheme allows people who are settled in the UK to claim compensation if they have suffered losses because they were unable to show that they had a right to live in the country.

Losses can include being unable to find work, a place to live or receive healthcare.

People can apply for the scheme if they came to the UK from a Commonwealth country before 1973, if their parents or grandparents came to the UK from a Commonwealth country before 1973 or if they came to the UK from any country before 31 December 1988 and are now settled here.

Ms Shah added that 23 people have died before receiving their compensation, and asked if the responsibility should be passed on to an independent body which may be “more capable” of delivering it.

“I remind the Home Secretary of the legal maxim ‘justice delayed is justice denied’”, Ms Shah said in Parliament.

“This Government promised to try to right some of the wrongs with the Windrush compensation scheme in a time-limited manner. In November, the Home Affairs Committee found that only 20 per cent of claimants had applied, and that only five per cent had received any compensation.

“Is it not high time that the responsibility to provide justice to the ageing Windrush generation was passed on to an independent body capable of delivering it?”

In response, Kevin Foster, Conservative MP for Torbay, said: “We would make the point that moving this operation out of the Home Office would merely further delay the provision of the compensation that we all want to see paid.

“As I have touched on, we are recruiting more caseworkers and speeding up the process.

“Given the age cohort we are talking about, we are aware that some people have sadly passed away. However, that is why we are more motivated to speed up the process and make a real difference.

“We will streamline the process to make it not only quicker, but simpler for those claiming compensation to engage with the team.”