Vaccine Damage Payment
If you’re severely disabled as a result of a vaccination against certain diseases, you could get a one-off tax-free payment of £120,000. This is called a Vaccine Damage Payment.
Eligibility
You could get a payment if you have a severe disability which was caused by vaccination against any of the following diseases:
- coronavirus (COVID-19)
- diphtheria
- Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib)
- human papillomavirus
- influenza, except for influenza caused by a pandemic influenza virus
- measles
- meningococcal group B (meningitis B)
- meningococcal group C (meningitis C)
- meningococcal group W (meningitis W)
- mumps
- pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 (swine flu) - up to 31 August 2010
- pertussis (whooping cough)
- pneumococcal infection
- poliomyelitis
- rotavirus
- rubella (German measles)
- smallpox - up to 1 August 1971
- tetanus
- tuberculosis (TB)
You may have had a combined vaccination against a number of the diseases listed, for example, you might have been vaccinated against DTP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis) or MMR (measles, mumps and rubella).
You may also be able to get a payment if you have a severe disability because either:
- your mother was vaccinated against one of the diseases in the list while she was pregnant
- you’ve been in close physical contact with someone who’s had an oral vaccine against poliomyelitis
What counts as ‘severely disabled’
Disablement is worked out as a percentage. 'Severe disablement’ means at least 60 per cent disabled.
This could be a mental or physical disablement and will be based on medical evidence from the doctors or hospitals involved in your treatment.
When the vaccination must have taken place
You must normally have been vaccinated before your 18th birthday unless the vaccination was during an outbreak of disease in the UK or the Isle of Man, or it was against:
- coronavirus (COVID-19)
- poliomyelitis
- rubella
- meningococcal Group C
- human papillomavirus
- pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 (swine flu)
- meningococcal group W before your 26th birthday
Where the vaccination must have taken place
The vaccination must have been given in the UK or the Isle of Man, unless you were vaccinated as part of Armed Forces medical treatment.
How you're paid
A Vaccine Damage Payment is a tax free one-off payment of £120,000.
You’ll get payment direct to you or, if you’re under 18 or can’t manage your own affairs, payment will be made to trustees.
If you live with your family, your parents may be appointed as trustees.
All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into an account, for example, your bank account.
Effect on other benefits
A Vaccine Damage Payment can affect other benefits and entitlements including:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Employment and Support Allowance
The effect the payment will have depends on a number of things. This includes the payment being put into a trust and the payments being made from it.
You should let the office that deals with your benefit or tax credit claim know if you’ve got a Vaccine Damage Payment.
How to claim
For details of how to claim, visit the following GOV.UK webpage: