Latest news with #DesCollins
Business Mayor
10-05-2025
- Health
- Business Mayor
Infected blood families falling into inheritance tax cracks
Lawyers supporting vulnerable and older people say they are in negotiations with the government to close a tax oversight affecting victims of the infected blood scandal. Practitioners advising the thousands of people infected with HIV and hepatitis C from blood transfusions have identified a gap in provisions for those receiving compensation. HM Revenue & Customs has said these payments are exempt from inheritance tax, but where victims died before receiving compensation, payments to their estates are being taxed during secondary transfers because compensation money is treated as part of the estate. The problem has been exacerbated by delays in securing payments from the £11.8bn allocated by the government. The Association of Lifetime Lawyers (ALL) and STEP, the professional body for trust and estate practitioners, together with chambers Ten Old Square, are now in talks with HMRC to deal with the secondary transfer issue. The hope is that draft legislation will be drawn up to enable the necessary legal changes so that relatives of the scandal victims are not penalised through the tax system. Jade Gani, spokesperson for the ALL and STEP, said families affected by the scandal now face a 'secondary injustice with an unfair and unexpected tax on their compensation'. She added: 'We're currently in talks with HMRC and are grateful for their ongoing engagement, responsiveness and proactive efforts in addressing the inheritance tax implications for families affected by the infected blood scandal. 'We are encouraged by the progress being made so far, and are hopeful that legislative change will bring about a fair and compassionate resolution.' Read More Cider taste test judge rules for budget brand in trade mark case The inquiry into the infection of some 30,000 people reopened this week to hear evidence on the workings of the compensation scheme. Des Collins, senior partner with Collins Solicitors and adviser to some 1,500 victims, said the reopening 'speaks volumes' about the welter of complaints and concerns on the issue of payments getting through. 'The compensation process is causing significant distress and anxiety to many of our clients,' he said. 'The hope they had last May that finally their suffering would be recognised and that they would receive justice has not come to pass. In fact, for the majority their experience is that little has changed in the obfuscation and delay tactics and disingenuous government behaviour they became used to for so long.'
BBC News
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Netflix Toxic Town: Solicitor calls for full apology
A solicitor who represented families affected by a town's toxic waste scandal has called for a public inquiry and a "full apology".Years after Corby's steelworks were closed in 1980, mothers living near a reclamation site gave birth to children with upper limb Des Collins, from Watford, began conducting his own investigation, revealing birth defects in Corby were three times higher than in the surrounding area.A Netflix drama based on the Northamptonshire town's toxic waste scandal is now available to stream and Mr Collins said it was time for affected families to receive a full explanation. Toxic Town depicts the real-life battle of families in Corby whose children were born with defects in what Netflix described as "one of the UK's biggest environmental scandals". Speaking to the BBC's Justin Dealey, in light of the new production, Mr Collins said: "Back in the day... we tried on a number of occasions to get a public inquiry into this issue and it was always rejected."I think there will be calls again for a public inquiry because a lot of the story has come out - a lot of it hasn't come out - and the bit that hasn't come out is important because of the learning process."Mr Collins, who is portrayed in the Netflix production by actor Rory Kinnear, said he would be prepared to support the families as he had previously done."This needs to be brought before the public in a more complete way, and I'm not criticising the Netflix production at all, but I think it really does require - in the light of this - that there should be further examination of the issues," he added: "A full apology would represent a huge amount [to the families]."The local authority no longer exists, having been replaced by the North Northamptonshire unitary council in April case remains a landmark ruling in environmental justice. BBC Radio Northampton has produced an eight-part documentary series called In Detail: The Toxic Waste Scandal, which will be available for download in March. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Legal recruitment firm for infected blood inquiry paid more than compensated victims
More taxpayer money has been spent on government legal staff for the infected blood scandal inquiry than has been awarded to victims, analysis shows. It has been nine months since the infected blood inquiry's final report was declared a 'day of shame' for the British state and revealed the scale of the worst treatment disaster in NHS history. The compensation scheme for the infected and affected individuals of the scandal is now operational and in an early stage of deployment. It is inviting small numbers of people and handling their claims before opening up more widely later this year. Officials at the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) hope to have invited 250 people to claim by the end of March. However, an update on Thursday revealed that just £25.1 million of compensation had been accepted by a total of 22 victims. A further 16 offers have been made, totalling an additional £23 million. Meanwhile, analysis from Tussell, the data firm, on behalf of The Telegraph has found that one legal recruitment company has been awarded more than £35 million of taxpayers' money since 2018, when the inquiry began. Law Absolute Ltd is a legal recruitment specialist based in London and was given contracts ranging from £375,000 to £8 million by the Cabinet Office and the Crown Prosecution Service to provide paralegals for the Government throughout the inquiry. Des Collins, a solicitor representing 1,500 victims, told The Telegraph: 'The cost outlay here has been substantial and you have to question why after almost 10 months the compensation paid to the victims remains so low.' The inquiry ended in May 2024 and the most recent contract spans from June 2024 until the end of June 2025. More than 30,000 people who received NHS treatment between the 1970s and early 1990s were infected with contaminated blood and many contracted viruses including hepatitis C and HIV. The NHS during this time imported blood products from the US, where medicines were manufactured from blood donations of people at high risk of carrying blood-borne infections, such as homeless people, prisoners and gay men. Tainted products killed at least 3,000 people, with thousands more suffering lifelong health issues as a result. Victims are entitled to free legal advice throughout the compensation claim process and their legal representatives are paid following the completion of a claim. This sum is understood to be less than £5,000 per victim. An infected person's claim can be for more than £2.7 million, depending on circumstance. The Government has ring-fenced £11.8 billion to fund compensation for the victims and established the IBCA to independently run the process. More than £87 million of public cash was spent in total on the scandal, not including compensation, the analysis found. Among the costs is £22 million on 29 contracts from the NHS to various trusts to provide a psychological support service for those affected by the scandal. A total of 16 NHS trusts received money to assist with their role in the inquiry. Newcastle upon Tyne, the Royal Free and Oxford were the three trusts that spent the most money. These trusts were also implicated in some of the worst behaviour of the scandal, with notable doctors working at each site. However, many of the infected people who have endured decades of illness while fighting for justice are growing frustrated with the pace of the compensation scheme. The scheme has been described as having a 'one size fits all' approach, and the process to receive compensation has also been criticised as being long-winded and complex. It can take a month for an individual to go from being invited to claim to receiving their money. But the IBCA has defended its approach, saying that going slowly initially allows it to ensure the system is robust and efficient before being able to open up en masse as 2025 progresses. This approach, it says, will ensure that all eligible people receive their compensation as soon as possible. David Foley, interim chief executive of the IBCA, said: 'We are building a claim service like no other and our approach is the opposite of a one-size-fits-all. 'Every person making a compensation claim has a unique set of experiences, and it is right that our service supports each individual circumstance.' The Cabinet Office has been approached for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
28-02-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Legal recruitment firm for infected blood scandal inquiry paid more than compensated victims
More taxpayer money has been spent on Government legal staff for the infected blood scandal inquiry than has been awarded to victims, analysis shows. It has been nine months since the infected blood inquiry's final report exposed a 'day of shame' for the British state and revealed the scale of the worst treatment disaster in the NHS's history. The compensation scheme for the infected and affected individuals of the scandal is now operational and in an early stage of deployment. It is inviting small numbers of people and handling their claims before opening up more widely later this year. Officials at the Infected Blood Compensation Authority (IBCA) hope to have invited 250 people to claim by the end of March. But an update on Thursday revealed that just £25.1 million of compensation has been accepted by a total of 22 victims. A further 16 offers have been made totalling an additional £23 million. Meanwhile, analysis from Tussell, the data firm, on behalf of The Telegraph has found that one legal recruitment company has been awarded more than £35 million of taxpayers' money since 2018, when the infected blood inquiry began. Law Absolute Ltd is a legal recruitment specialist based in London and was given contracts ranging from £375,000 to £8 million by the Cabinet Office and the Crown Prosecution Service to provide paralegals for the Government throughout the infected blood inquiry. Des Collins, a solicitor representing 1,500 victims, told The Telegraph: 'The cost outlay here has been substantial and you have to question why after almost 10 months the compensation paid to the victims remains so low.' The inquiry ended in May 2024 and the most recent contract spans from June 2024 until the end of June 2025. More than 30,000 people who received NHS treatment between the 1970s and early 1990s were infected with contaminated blood and many contracted a number of viruses including hepatitis C and HIV. The NHS during this time imported blood products from the US where medicines were manufactured from blood donations of people at high risk of carrying blood-borne infections, such as homeless people, prisoners and gay men. Tainted products killed at least 3,000 people, with thousands more suffering lifelong health issues as a result. Victims are entitled to free legal advice throughout the compensation claim process and their legal representatives are paid following the completion of a claim. This sum is understood to be less than £5,000 per victim. An infected person's claim can be for more than £2.7 million, depending on circumstance. The Government has ring-fenced £11.8 billion to fund compensation for the victims and established the IBCA to independently run the process. More than £87 million of public cash was spent in total on the scandal, not including compensation, the analysis found. Among the costs is £22 million on 29 contracts from the NHS to various trusts to provide a psychological support service for those affected or infected by the scandal. A total of 16 NHS trusts received money to assist with their role in the inquiry. Newcastle upon Tyne, the Royal Free and Oxford were the three trusts that spent the most money. These trusts were also implicated in some of the worst behaviour of the scandal with notable doctors working at each site. However, many of the infected people who have endured decades of illness while fighting for justice are growing frustrated with the pace of the compensation scheme. The compensation scheme set-up has been described as a 'one size fits all' approach, and the process to receive compensation has also been criticised as being long-winded and complex. It can take a month for an individual to go from being invited to claim to receiving their money. But the IBCA has defended its approach, saying that going slowly initially allows it to ensure the system is robust and efficient before being able to open up en masse as 2025 progresses. This approach, it says, will ensure that all eligible people receive their compensation as soon as possible. David Foley, interim chief executive of the IBCA, said: 'We are building a claim service like no other and our approach is the opposite of a one-size-fits-all. 'Every person making a compensation claim has a unique set of experiences, and it is right that our service supports each individual circumstance.'
BBC News
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Toxic Town: Netflix's drama about Corby steel waste
A Netflix drama based on a town's toxic waste scandal is now available to Town depicts the real-life battle of families in Corby whose children were born with defects in what Netflix described as "one of the UK's biggest environmental scandals".Here is everything you need to know about the show and the real events in the Northamptonshire town that inspired it. What happened in Corby? Netflix said Toxic Town focused on mothers who fought a "David and Goliath battle for justice".In 1979, about 10,000 people worked at Corby's steelworks, but, with Britain experiencing a decline in heavy industry, steel production became uncompetitive, leading to the site's closure in 1980. Thousands were left unemployed, prompting the local council to launch a regeneration British Steel Corporation demolished the works, and using government and European grants, the council began reclaiming the land. The project involved moving millions of tonnes of contaminated waste to Deene Quarry, on the outskirts of the town. Years later, concerns arose when mothers living near the reclamation site gave birth to children with upper limb deformities. A 1999 Northamptonshire Health Authority study found no unusual cluster of birth defects. However, solicitor Des Collins, after reading about the cases, conducted his own investigation, revealing birth defects in Corby were three times higher than in the surrounding Collins assembled a team of experts, including toxicologists and pollution specialists, to argue that the council's mismanagement of toxic waste had spread contaminated dust throughout the town. The heavy metal cadmium was identified on the former steel site, and a medical expert cited research linking it to birth defects in a three-month civil court hearing, Justice Akenhead ruled in favour of the claimants, marking the first time a UK court recognised airborne pollutants harming unborn babies. Corby Borough Council disputed the verdict and prepared an appeal, but reached a private settlement with the families in 2010. The local authority no longer exists, having been replaced by the North Northamptonshire unitary council in April case remains a landmark ruling in environmental justice. Who created the show and who are the stars? The four-part series features an ensemble cast led by former Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker as Susan McIntyre. She is joined by Sex Education's Aimee Lou Wood as Tracey Taylor and Bridgerton's Claudia Jessie as Maggie Mahon - all real mothers who fought the court Diplomat's Rory Kinnear plays solicitor Des Collins, who took on the case and appeared in the BBC documentary from 2020, similarly called Toxic Town: The Corby Full Monty's Robert Carlyle plays Sam Hagen, a then-Corby Borough Councillor and Downton Abbey's Brendan Coyle, who is from Corby originally, stars as Roy Thomas, a fictional amalgams of several people from the authority. The Netflix series is written by Jack Thorne, known for His Dark Materials and Harry Potter and the Cursed to BBC Radio Northampton, Thorne said: "It felt like this incredibly and shameful thing happened and I had no idea it happened."Bringing attention to that, not just for Corby, but the implication for every single one of us, felt an important thing for TV to do."He said the "hardest bit" was deciding which mothers to focus on in the drama as all "deserve attention". What have the families said? Speaking to the BBC, Tracey Taylor, whose daughter Shelby died at four days old, said: "I don't think the people of Corby realise just how much they have been affected by this. Hopefully they will now, and hopefully they'll see why us mothers had to stand strong and do it."Fellow Corby mother, Maggie Mahon, whose son was born with a club foot, said seeing the show was "emotional". BBC Radio Northampton has produced an eight-part documentary series called In Detail: The Toxic Waste Scandal, which will be available for download in documentary is presented by 32-year old George Taylor, who was born in 1992 with a unilateral upper limb parents Brian and Fiona had run the King's Arms pub in Weldon, near the clean-up site, and the court heard dusty workers from the reclamation team had spread contaminants throughout their bar."I've never had the chance to really understand what happened in Corby that left us kids the way we are," said George"Even if people know this story – I think they'll be surprised by what we found. It's been an eye-opener." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
