A new Covid vaccine compensation scheme could be set up for people who say they have been left ‘disabled’ after the jabs; amid complaints that existing system is ‘overwhelmed’

A Covid vaccine compensation scheme could be set up for people who claim to have been left “disabled” by the vaccine.

Wes Streeting, the health secretary, is considering the new program to help those now suffering from life-changing conditions as a result of receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine.

This comes amid calls to review the existing scheme, the Vaccine Injury Payment Scheme (VDPS), as there are concerns it will not be able to handle the high volume of claims, which according to the latest figures exceeds 15,000.

Those affected are keen for the scheme, which was originally created in 1979, to reform its eligibility criteria and payment structure as they say it is “no longer fit for purpose”.

Wes Streeting, the health secretary, is considering a new program to help those now suffering from life-changing conditions.

Data acquired under the Freedom of Information Act shows 168 people have been told they are eligible for the Vaccine Damages Payment, a tax-free sum of £120,000, due to injuries caused by a Covid jab .

The majority of claims under the vaccine injury scheme relate to the AstraZeneca vaccine.

While thousands of people have been turned away by medical assessors who say there is insufficient evidence the vaccine causes harm, payments of £120,000 have been handed out in 175 cases, less than two per cent of those who applied.

Applicants have received payments for conditions including dangerous blood clots, inflammation of the spinal cord, excessive swelling of the vaccinated limb and facial paralysis, as well as for strokes and heart attacks.

A staggering 97 per cent of successful claims relate to the AstraZeneca vaccine and only a handful relate to harm caused by Pfizer or Moderna, according to freedom of information requests made by The Telegraph.

One of the key criticisms cited by campaigners is the total payment of £120,000.

They argue that the payment is not enough for people most severely disabled by a vaccine injury, such as those who have suffered brain injuries, are unable to work and face ongoing care costs for the rest of their lives.

However, those receiving a payment under the scheme can still take private legal action against the Government to seek further damages.

Sir Jeremy Wright MP, the shadow attorney general, said: “If you are in the very small minority of those injured (by the Covid vaccine), those people have a right to expect the State to care for them properly; they were just doing what that the state asked them to do.’

Campaigners point out that the £120,000 figure was set in 2007 and has not kept pace with inflation and the rising cost of living.

In some patients, the AstraZeneca vaccine triggered a blood clotting complication that was so rare that it was not detected in the original clinical trials.

Researchers believe this rare side effect is because the modified cold virus hiding in the injection has an adverse effect on platelets in the blood, causing them to clot.

According to Bank of England figures, if the sum had risen alongside inflation payments, it would now amount to just over £195,000.

Another criticism is the time it takes for victims to receive payment.

MailOnline has spoken to some successful applicants who had to wait almost two years to receive a penny of the £120,000 sum.

They said this added to the stress of not being able to work due to a disability and having to rely on their savings to survive.

Others have previously told this website that the year-long delays left them no choice but to sell their homes and rely on food banks.

And some families, who survive on benefits such as Universal Credit after the death or disability of a main breadwinner due to a puncture injury, have had this state support reduced or completely eliminated, and the Government has classified the £120,000 as “income”.

But some Britons never see a cent, due to the scheme’s 60 per cent disability limit.

Those injured by a vaccine must die or be at least 60 percent disabled from their injury, as assessed by a doctor, for them or their families to receive money.

This feature, described as “cruel” by critics, means Britons with minor but potentially life-changing injuries get nothing.

Astrazeneca is being sued in a class-action lawsuit over claims that the vaccine, developed with Oxford University, caused death and serious injury in dozens of cases. The Government has indemnified AstraZeneca against any legal action, but has so far refused to intervene.