Survivors of Ireland's mother and baby homes will not have UK benefits cut

"In recognition of the lifelong impact of this, today the UK agrees to disregard payments under Ireland's mother and baby redress scheme, ensuring that survivors in both countries are treated the same and can receive the compensation to which they are rightly entitled."

"This was about more than redress payments. It was also about ensuring that we tackle the stigma and shame that have wrongly followed so many women and their children for so long, and about showing thousands of survivors the kindness and dignity they have so often been denied throughout their lives."

"Recognition, accountability and redress do matter, and no survivor should ever be penalised for accepting the compensation they are rightfully owed."

The UK government has agreed to disregard compensation payments under Ireland's mother and baby redress scheme when calculating survivors' benefits eligibility. Up to 13,000 survivors living in Britain previously risked losing essential means-tested benefits if they accepted compensation ranging from £5,000 to £125,000. The decision, made following an Anglo-Irish summit between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Taoiseach Micheal Martin, implements Philomena's law and ensures survivors in both countries receive equal treatment. Campaigners, including actors Siobhan McSweeney and Steve Coogan, successfully pressured the government to back the bill. The agreement recognizes the lifelong impact of institutional abuse and affirms survivors' right to compensation without financial penalty.

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