Lengthy waiting times for compensation

A new report by ATLEU has shown the lengthy waiting times for survivors of slavery to receive compensation in the UK. This new report reveals that nearly half of the survey respondents had the experience of survivors waiting two to three years to receive compensation.

Other key findings include:

• 88% of respondents had experience of survivors giving up due to the length of time taken to deal with their application
• 60% of respondents had experience of survivors being refused compensation on the basis that they had not suffered a crime of violence
• 65% of respondents had experience of applications being refused because survivors’ had not submitted the application within two years
• 60% of respondents had experienced applications being refused on the basis that the survivor had not reported to the police as soon as reasonably practicable
• 67% of respondents said that they did not help survivors apply for compensation as they did not have the requisite knowledge or experience.

These numbers show the difficulty in accessing compensation. Without compensation, survivors of slavery are put at even greater risk of further harm and re-trafficking. Read the report here.