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Church of England Redress Scheme Updates
Important Update
The Church of England Redress Scheme has now received final approval from the General Synod and is moving closer to launch. However, the scheme is not yet open for applications.
A new website, has now been launched, where survivors can register their interest in making a claim. Once the scheme becomes fully operational, those who have registered will be contacted directly with details on how to apply.
While this marks an important step forward, there is currently no confirmed date for when applications will open. We understand this continued delay may be frustrating for survivors who have already waited a long time for acknowledgment and redress.
However, in an important and very welcome development, the Church of England Redress Scheme has confirmed a key update. Solicitors’ costs will be covered by the scheme itself. Crucially, those costs will not be deducted from survivors’ compensation.
What is the Church of England Redress Scheme?
The Church of England Redress Scheme is a national redress scheme proposed to compensate victims of church-related abuse.
The Church of England Redress Scheme is due to become available to survivors of physical, sexual, emotional, spiritual and psychological abuse, neglect and financial abuse with awards ranging from £5,000 to £660,000.
The Scheme is set to be one of the most generous schemes in terms of redress and compensation claims. It aims to offer financial, therapeutic, and emotional support for a wide range of abuse.
Although the Scheme is not yet open to claim against, the Church of England have opened an interim scheme for those in dire need.
The Church of England Redress Scheme covers all legal costs from a successful claim. Therefore you will keep 100% of your compensation and we will not charge you anything.
How does the Church of England Redress Scheme work?
The Church of England Redress Scheme compensation is anticipated to run as a 4-stage process:
Stage 1 – Compensation between £5,000 and £150,000 to be awarded depending on the category of the abuse.
Stage 2 – aggravating factors will be considered. This could include the length of time the abuse took place – At stage 2, the initial award may be doubled.
Stage 3 – Consideration of an additional payment of up to £250,000 when the full impact of the abuse will be considered.
Stage 4 - There will also be consideration (in exceptional circumstances) for an increase of up to 20% of the awards given in stage 1, 2 and 3.
As well as offering financial, emotional and therapeutic redress, the Scheme also says it can offer apologies to those who were victims of abuse. As experts specialising in Sexual Assault and Abuse, we understand how important it is for victims to feel heard and how much accountability and recognition means to them.
Who can claim?
Regardless of where you live now, or where the abuse took place. All victims of church-related abuse are encouraged to apply to the Church of England Redress Scheme for compensation.
The scheme is not intended to attempt to “take away” or excuse the abuse that a person has suffered. However, it is hoped that it will provide an acknowledgement of wrong-doing and help to rebuild a person’s life after abuse.
How do I claim?
The Church of England Redress Scheme, although not yet open, is anticipated to become available towards the end of this year.
It is set to run for 5 years; however, we believe that it is imperative to the success of your claim to submit this as soon as possible.
If you, or someone you know has suffered abuse at the hand of a member of the Church of England, its parishes or Cathedrals, contact our Litigation Specialists at Winston Solicitors for a free initial consultation.
The Interim Support scheme – What is this?
The interim scheme, set up in 2020, has been made available to those who have been most severely effected by the abuse they suffered at the hands of the Church.
It aims to offer financial assistance to those in immediate need.
It can offer and initial payment of £2500.00 and is intended to provide short-term help to those in most dire need.
To apply to the Interim Support scheme, you must be able to show that you have experienced church-related abuse and that you require immediate support, as there is or would be a significant risk to your physical or mental health.
You will also need to show that the difficulties are because of the abuse suffered and that you are unable to receive support from any other organisation.
The Church of England Redress Scheme is a Scheme for survivors of Church-related abuse. The Scheme is intended as a demonstration of regret and a practical way in which the Church can acknowledge it past failings relating to safeguarding.
The Scheme is a response to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).
Anyone who has suffered Church-related abuse can apply. The specific rules of the Scheme are yet to be published, however anyone who has experienced abuse related immediately to the Church, or as a result of the Church failing to act when they could have done to prevent abuse should consider applying.
There is currently no fixed start date for the scheme. The framework for the Scheme has been approved through Parliament, as of December 2025. The Rules for the Scheme have not yet been published and still need to go through parliamentary process.
The Scheme will consider sexual abuse, physical abuse, spiritual abuse, psychological abuse, financial abuse and neglect or maltreatment.
In the first instance the Scheme will run for 5 years. This is to be reviewed part way through the process, so it may be extended.
The Scheme will consider abuse which took place within the UK. It will also consider abuse directly related to the Church of England, that took place outside the UK, such as when a Church mission was operating abroad.
You can make a claim whether you currently live in the UK or not.
There are no dates in the Scheme. It does not matter how long ago the abuse took place to be able to claim.
There is no requirement under the scheme for a person to report abuse to the police.
Yes, a claim can still be made if the perpetrator has since died.
There are no timescales currently provided in relation to the Scheme. The intention is to deal with all survivors as individuals rather than push claims through a process.
Yes, the Scheme includes provision for legal fees. You can use a lawyer for advice and support to make your claim and nothing will be deducted from your compensation.
Currently the Scheme guidance suggests if a claim has been started, and a person then dies, that it can be continued by their relatives.
A surviving child, partner or parent may be able to make a claim under the Scheme when someone who suffered abuse has since died. This will only be considered under exceptional circumstances. An example of an exceptional circumstance would be when a person has taken their own life as a result of the abuse.
