Northern Ireland

Troubles pension: People in jail for under 30 months may qualify, says victims commissioner

Victims commissioner Judith Thompson. Picture by Liam McBurney/PA
Victims commissioner Judith Thompson. Picture by Liam McBurney/PA Victims commissioner Judith Thompson. Picture by Liam McBurney/PA

PEOPLE who served less than 30 months in prison for Troubles-related offences may qualify for a new pensions scheme, the victims commissioner has said.

Judith Thompson said it remained "uncertain" how some aspects of the Troubles pension would be implemented since it was announced on Friday by the British government.

It will offer annual payments ranging from £2,000 to £10,000 for those who suffered physical or psychological injury.

A judge-led board will decide who will receive payments under the scheme, which opens for applications in May.

It will exclude anyone convicted of serious offences or those who were injured by their own actions, such as bombers caught up in their own explosion.

But speaking to the BBC yesterday, Ms Thompson said it was unclear how a panel may rule on individual cases.

She said it would examine on a "case-by-case basis" applications from those with convictions exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Order – which she said broadly refers to those who served more than two-and-a-half years in prison.

"I think it is uncertain how this will play out, and I think it's probably not unhelpful to speculate too much at this stage," she said.

"We know that anyone with any kind of conviction, Troubles-related or not, which is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Order, will have to go before a panel.

"And the decisions of that panel are not at all clear at this stage. So we know those people will be looked at on a case-by-case basis.

"We don't know what the outcome of those decisions will be.

"The only thing we do know pretty clearly from this legislation is that people convicted for causing their own harm are excluded."

On individual assessments for the pension, Ms Thompson said face-to-face assessments "must be handled sensitively".

She said there would be as little face-to-face assessment as possible and anyone undergoing such an assessment would be supported.

"For paper-based assessment the principle is there in this legislation. If you have medical records going back for decades – whether those are of psychological or physical injury – then the panel will attempt to make a decision on your injuries based on those. Only when it is not possible to do that will face-to-face assessment be used."

She said those who are not awarded payments should still receive a "clear understanding of what can make their lives better and an offer of that help".

Ms Thompson said the scheme will do "something to acknowledge harm", but added: "We should never be satisfied we have done enough."

"It is going to give a better life to people, many of whom have been stuck in a vacuum for decades with the disagreement around this," she added.