FOI-02431

#Request#
1) How many claims have been made to the VDPS due to an adverse reaction to a Covid vaccine to date? 

2)How many claimants have been notified of an outcome? 

3)How many claims have been successful? Please provide a breakdown of which vaccine were used in the claims awarded. 

4)How many claims have been rejected / unsuccessful? 

5)What are the reasons for claims being rejected? Please provide numbers? Please provide a breakdown of which vaccine was used in the claims when causation was accepted. 

6) Please provide a breakdown of the conditions that have met the criteria e.g. VITT, GBS?. If CIDP is now not included in the list (it has been previously) please indicate what the CIDP cases have been merged with) 

7) How many claimants have applied to the VDPS scheme for the condition Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP)? (awarded or not awarded) 

8) How many claimants have been awarded payment from the VDPS due to the condition being CIDP? 

9) How many claimants have been rejected from the scheme when CIDP is the cause but they haven't achieved the disability threshold of 60%? 

10) How many claimants have who have CIDP have not been provided with causation? 

11) How many claimants who have CIDP have had causation retracted from their appeal/mandatory reversal? 


_Clarification:_ 
On 23 December 2024 we asked you to clarify question 10 of your request. You replied the same day with the following: 

What I mean is, how many applicants have applied with CIDP as the condition caused by a vaccine and how many have of those applications have had causation denied? 

#Response#
I can confirm that the NHSBSA holds the information you have requested.  

All data as of 30 November 2024. All data relates to claims received by the NHSBSA and those transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 1 November 2021. All figures provided for questions 1 to 11 relate to COVID-19 vaccines.  

__Fewer than five__ 
Please be aware that we have decided not to release the full details where the total number of individuals falls below five. This is because the individuals could be identified, when combined with other information that may be in the public domain or reasonably available. This information falls under the exemption in section 40 subsections 2 and 3 (a) of the FOIA. This is because it would breach the first data protection principle as:  
a.	 it is not fair to disclose individual’s personal details to the world and is likely to cause damage or distress.  
b.	these details are not of sufficient interest to the public to warrant an intrusion into the privacy of the individual.  
Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full: 
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/40  

__Breach of Confidentiality__
Please note that the identification of individuals is also a breach of the common law duty of confidence. An individual who has been identified could make a claim against the NHSBSA for the disclosure of the confidential information.  

The information requested is therefore being withheld as it falls under the exemption in section 41(1) ‘Information provided in confidence’ of the FOIA.   
Please click the below web link to see the exemption in full: 
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/36/section/41  

Question 1 - How many claims have been made to the VDPS due to an adverse reaction to a Covid vaccine to date? 

17,519 claims have been submitted to the Vaccine Damage Payments Scheme (VDPS). 

Question 2 - How many claimants have been notified of an outcome? 

9,545 claimants have been notified of an outcome following medical assessment. A further 843 did not meet the criteria for medical assessment. 

Question 3 - How many claims have been successful? Please provide a breakdown of which vaccine were used in the claims awarded. 

194 claimants have been notified that they are entitled to a Vaccine Damage Payment.   
Of these, fewer than five were Pfizer and fewer than five were Moderna and the remaining claims were AstraZeneca. Therefore, as detailed above in accordance with section 40(2) and section 41 of FOIA, we are unable to provide an updated breakdown by manufacturer. 

Question 4 - How many claims have been rejected / unsuccessful?
 
9,351 claims have been rejected following a medical assessment, and a further 843 did not meet the criteria for medical assessment. 

Question 5 - What are the reasons for claims being rejected? Please provide numbers? Please provide a breakdown of which vaccine was used in the claims when causation was accepted. 

8,935 claims were unsuccessful because the independent medical assessor recommended that, on the balance of probabilities, the vaccine did not cause the disability in question (causation).   
416 claims were unsuccessful because, although the claims met the criteria for causation, the independent medical assessor recommended that the vaccine has not caused severe disablement. Under the VDPS, severe disablement means at least 60% disabled, based on Schedule 2 of The Social Security (General Benefit) Regulations 1982:  
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1982/1408/schedule/2 

Since the release of FOI 02351, where we said that of the 406 claims that 258 relate to AstraZeneca, 109 relate to Pfizer, 32 relate to Moderna and the remaining claims relate to more than one COVID-19 vaccine, there has been an increase of fewer than five unsuccessful claims relating to more than one COVID-19 vaccine. We have therefore decided not to disclose a breakdown of these exact figures per vaccine under section 40(2) and section 41 of the FOIA. Details of these exemptions are outlined above. 
You can view FOI-02351 using the following link: 
https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/dataset/foi-02351 

Question 6 - Please provide a breakdown of the conditions that have met the criteria e.g. VITT, GBS?. If CIDP is now not included in the list (it has been previously) please indicate what the CIDP cases have been merged with) 

The list shows specific conditions that have been identified in medical records for those awarded a payment. Claims could be in relation to a mixture of the listed conditions and other conditions. 

Submitting a claim in relation to one of the awarded conditions does not mean it will meet the criteria for a Vaccine Damage Payment. This is because each claim is considered on its own merits and in accordance with the criteria of the scheme. VDPS assessments are complex. Each claim is assessed on a case-by-case basis, based upon the individual's medical records, scientific evidence, clinical research and epidemiological evidence. 

Please note that due to the numbers identified for some of these assessed conditions being fewer than five, we’re unable to provide a breakdown of the conditions. We have therefore decided not to disclose the exact number for each condition under section 40(2) and section 41 of the FOIA. Details of these exemptions are outlined above. 

The main conditions of the claims awarded a Vaccine Damage Payment are:  

•	Acute allergic reaction 

•	Anaphylaxis  

•	Bacterial pneumonia 

•	Bell's palsy  

•	Bilateral sequential optic neuropathy 
 
•	Capillary leak syndrome
  
•	Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP)* 

•	Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS)
 
•	Immune thrombocytopenia  

•	Myocardial Infarction  

•	Myocarditis/pericarditis  

•	Pulmonary Embolus  

•	Stroke/ CVA  

•	Transverse myelitis  

•	Vaccine-induced vasculitis 

•	VITT/Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis  

*Based on current scientific evidence, claims in relation to CIDP are no longer likely to meet the criteria for a Vaccine Damage Payment. 

Under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 to qualify for a Vaccine Damage Payment, it must be proved that an eligible vaccine was received and: 

•	on the balance of probabilities, the vaccine caused the disability
 
•	the resulting disablement is severe 

Severely disabled means at least 60% as defined by the principles for assessing the extent of disablement. These are set out in section 103 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 and the Social Security (General Benefit) Regulations 1982: 
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/4/contents 
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1982/1408/schedule/2   

Question 7 - How many claimants have applied to the VDPS scheme for the condition Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP)? (awarded or not awarded) 

At the medical assessment stage, the independent medical assessor provides a description of the assessed conditions they have been able to identify from the claimant's medical records. This can sometimes be a mixture of conditions. The condition recorded against each claim may therefore be different to the condition initially stated by the claimant on their original claim form.  
44 medical assessment reports contain one or both of the following search terms: 

•	“Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy”
 
•	“CIDP” 

Question 8 - How many claimants have been awarded payment from the VDPS due to the condition being CIDP? 

We have used search terms to identify medical assessment reports for awarded claims. 

Out of the 44 medical assessment reports referenced in question 7, 9 medical assessment reports in relation to claimants werean awarded claims which contain one or both of the following search terms: 
•	“Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy” 
•	“CIDP” 

Conditions which have previously been awarded may no longer meet the criteria for a Vaccine Damage Payment as epidemiological evidence, and the current consensus of expert medical opinion can change over time.  

The independent medical assessors will consider clinical research, epidemiological evidence, and the current consensus of expert medical opinion together with a claimant’s application and their medical records from their healthcare providers to make a clinical assessment on whether the claim meets the criteria for a Vaccine Damage Payment.  

Under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 to qualify for a Vaccine Damage Payment, it must be proved that an eligible vaccine was received and: 

•	on the balance of probabilities, the vaccine caused the disability
 
•	the resulting disablement is severe 


Severely disabled means at least 60% as defined by the principles for assessing the extent of disablement. These are set out in section 103 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 and the Social Security (General Benefit) Regulations 1982: 
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1992/4/contents 
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1982/1408/schedule/2    

Question 9 - How many claimants have been rejected from the scheme when CIDP is the cause but they haven't achieved the disability threshold of 60%? 

Of the 44 medical assessment reports referenced in question 7, 6 medical assessment reports that did not meet the disablement criteria contain one or both of the following search terms: 

•	“Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy” 

•	“CIDP”  


To clarify, these 6 claims were unsuccessful because although the independent medical assessor recommended that the claims met the criteria for causation, the independent medical assessor recommended that the vaccine has not caused severe disablement.  

Under the VDPS, severe disablement means at least 60% disabled, based on Schedule 2 of The Social Security (General Benefit) Regulations 1982: 
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1982/1408/schedule/2 

Question 10 - How many applicants have applied with CIDP as the condition caused by a vaccine and how many have of those applications have had causation denied? 

Of the 44 medical assessment reports referenced in question 7, 29 medical assessment reports that did not meet the criteria in relation to causation contain one or both of the following search terms: 

•	“Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy” 

•	“CIDP”  


To clarify, these claims were unsuccessful because the independent medical assessor recommended that, on the balance of probabilities, the vaccine did not cause the disability in question (causation). 

Question 11 - How many claimants who have CIDP have had causation retracted from their appeal/mandatory reversal? 

The NHSBSA has decided not to release the number of claimants within the 29 medical assessment reports referenced in question 10, where the independent medical assessor initially recommended that, on the balance of probabilities, the vaccine did cause the disability in question (causation), and following an appeal or mandatory reversal this recommendation was that on the balance of probabilities, the vaccine did not cause the disability in question. This is because the total number of individuals is fewer than five and therefore is withheld under section 40(2) and section 41 of the FOIA. Details of these exemptions are outlined above. 

 
#Data Queries
 
Please contact foirequests@nhsbsa.nhs.uk ensuring you quote the above reference if you have any specific questions regarding this response; or, if you feel you may be misunderstanding or misinterpreting the information; or, if you plan on publishing the data. 

#Reusing the data and copyright
 
If you plan on producing a press or broadcast story based upon the data please contact communicationsteam@nhsbsa.nhs.uk. This is important to ensure that the figures are not misunderstood or misrepresented. 
 
The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is subject to NHSBSA copyright. This information is licenced under the terms of the Open Government Licence detailed at: 
 
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/  
 
Should you wish to re-use the information you must include the following statement: “NHSBSA Copyright 2025” Failure to do so is a breach of the terms of the licence. 
 
Information you receive which is not subject to NHSBSA Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. Please obtain their permission before reproducing any third party (non NHSBSA Copyright) information. 
 


Tags: Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme
Organization: Freedom of Information Disclosure Log