Victims have been let down and abandoned: News Letter and Ulster Human Rights Watch launch campaign to get payments scheme implemented

The open letter from Ulster Human Rights Watch (UHRW) coincides with the launch of a short campaign by the victims’ organisation and the News Letter to get the overdue Victims’ Payment Scheme implemented.

This is day 31 since the new pension scheme was due to start but because of disputes over who should qualify and pay for the pension, the scheme has been postponed.

In the open letter to Mr Johnson, Ulster Human Rights Watch managing director, Robert Campbell, and advocacy manager, Axel Schmidt, said: “Delaying pension payments is serving to add to the revulsion and trauma experienced by innocent victims.

“Most of them feel let down and abandoned by their national government and devolved administration. They see themselves as pawns in a deplorable political squabble where they are made victims all over again by being denied what has been agreed.

“For their sakes, we would ask you to ignore the political wrangle in Belfast by doing what is right for the people who have already suffered enough.”

Mr Schmdt asked the government to end the stalemate by now taking control of the scheme.

“… Since the Victims’ Payments Regulations and the funding ... were approved in Westminster and the scheme is to benefit victims of terrorism throughout the United Kingdom, we respectfully submit that the scheme should now be totally administered and implemented by the United Kingdom government without any further delay.”

He also pointed out the failure by the Stormont Executive to designate a department to manage the functions on behalf of a proposed board.