UK Govt considering whether to support Philomena's Law
The British Government is considering whether to support legislation, known as 'Philomena's law', which seeks to help UK based survivors of Irish mother-and-baby homes access compensation.
Over 100 MPs and Peers have signed an open letter backing the proposed law.
The legislation has been named after Philomena Lee, a mother and baby home survivor, whose story about her son being forcibly adopted was chronicled in the Oscar nominated film "Philomena".
It's estimated that around 13,000 people living in the UK are mother and baby home survivors, however many risk losing their means-tested benefits if they avail of compensation under the Irish Mother and Baby Institution payments scheme.
'Philomena's Law' was first introduced to the House of Commons by the chair of the UK Labour Party's Irish Society, Liam Conlon MP.
He is seeking a 'indefinite capital disregard', which is a legal mechanism that ensures compensation is not counted as savings for the purpose of benefits eligibility.
This model was used in previous cases, including for survivors of the 7/7 and Manchester bombings, as well as the Windrush scandal.
No timeline on final decision
Today, Minister Andrew Western told MPs that Cabinet Secretaries are considering whether to legislate to ensure that survivors means-tested benefits are not impacted.
He couldn't give a timeline as to when a decision will be made.
"Part of the reason for this is that conversations are ongoing, not just across government but including Foreign and Commonwealth Ministers and officials, directly with the Irish government to talk about how that might work", he explained.
The deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, Daisy Cooper, who is the constituency MP of Philomena Lee, called on the Minister to write to members within the next 14 days outlining a timeline for a decision.
However, Mr Western said that he would not be in a position to do this.
Ahead of today's debate, the first in Westminster, Liam Conlon MP explained that the legislation was also being introduce to raise awareness in relation to the Irish government's mother and baby homes scheme.
"Take up is incredibly low in Britain and we want to ensure that every eligible survivor knows about it and feels empowered to apply", he explained.
Stars lend support to legislation
The actor Steve Coogan, who starred in the film 'Philomena', has expressed his support for the legislation.
"Liam is doing fantastic work to raise awareness of this important issue and I'm backing 'Philomena's Law' to help him ensure that all survivors get the compensation they are rightfully due", he said.
Irish actor and star of Derry Girls, Siobhán McSweeney, said that she "wholeheartedly" supports 'Philomena's Law', adding that "this legislation is a crucial step towards justice and dignity for those who have suffered in silence for far too long."
The open letter has been signed by politicians from a number of parties, including Labour, DUP, UUP, SDLP, SNP, Sinn Féin, Liberal Democrats and Alliance.
It states that "This complicated and stressful situation is putting undue pressure on survivors who are currently making applications to the payment scheme, forcing them to revisit their most traumatic experiences as they weigh up the cost of accepting compensation".
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