§ Mr. DavidsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what changes have been made in the rules for eligibility for payments under the Vaccine Damage Payment Act 1979 in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement.[137776]
§ Mr. BayleyThe Vaccine Damage Payment (VDP) Act 1979 provides a single, tax-free payment for people who have suffered severe mental and/or physical disablement of 80 per cent. or more as a result of vaccination against one or a group of specified diseases following a claim made within six years of the date of vaccination or of a child reaching the age of two whichever is the later. The only changes to the eligibility rules which have been made since 1979 are the addition of mumps in April 1990 and haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) in May 1995 to the list of specified diseases.
787WOn 27 June 2000,Official Report, columns 719–20, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security announced a number of changes to the VDP scheme. In addition to increasing the level of the one-off payment for £40,000 to £100,000, these changes included proposals to amend the time limits for claiming a payment to age 21 in the case of children, and to reduce the disability threshold from 80 per cent. to 60 per cent.