Wrongly convicted people will no longer face having “saved living costs” deducted from compensation payments following an update to guidance made today
The announcement follow the case of Andrew Wilkinson who spent 17 years in jail for a rape in Salford that he did not commit
He was released in 2020 having always maintained his innocence and could now be in line for compensation after his conviction was formally quashed after his latest appeal.
Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk has taken decisive action to inject greater fairness into how payout decisions for miscarriages of justice are made, ending the possibility that people can be ‘charged’ for saved living costs.
This element of the guidance was added in 2006 and will be removed with immediate effect, applying to all future payments made under the miscarriage of justice compensation scheme.
However speaking to the BBC, Mr Malkinson said: “It’s a step in the right direction. But there’s much more that needs changing too.
“You know, you don’t want to just put a sticking plaster on something that’s mortally wounded.” adding that
even with the living costs rule removed, he expects to wait two years for any compensation while the independent board which determines how much he is entitled to makes its decision.
