The Church of England Redress Scheme

29th July, 2025

5 minute read

This month, The Church of England gave final approval to a comprehensive redress scheme for survivors of Church- related abuse. This has completed the Church’s legislative process and paves the way for the scheme to open for redress applications subject to parliamentary approval and royal assent. The scheme may be open as early as September 2025.

The Synod voted almost unanimously in favour of the scheme, which has had input from survivors and safeguarding professionals and aims to have a trauma-informed and person-centered approach. A key principle of the scheme is it's independent administration, ensuring that decisions are made by trained assessors, free from the influence of Church officials of bishops.

Phil Johnson, a survivor of Church-related abuse and a member of the Redress Project Board, welcomed today’s vote:

“I am relieved and pleased that Synod has voted to approve the redress scheme. It is the culmination of years of hard work and when it opens, it will make a huge difference in the lives of people. For the Church, it is an opportunity to rectify some of the harm that’s been done to victims and survivors.”

Following the vote, Bishop Philip added: “Today marks a significant and welcome step in providing much needed redress for victims and survivors of Church-related abuse. Once operational, this independently run, survivor-focused scheme will be a crucial response to a clear need. It will make a real difference to people’s lives, offering not just financial redress but heartfelt apology, acknowledgment, and care, treating survivors with the fairness, compassion, and dignity they deserve.”

The scheme has been in development for the past four years in response to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). A public website has opened which enables prospective applicants to register their interest and once the scheme is open and operating, survivors will be to apply to this same dedicated website. The address is: http://www.redresscofe.org/

The progress of the scheme was delayed due to the publication of the Makin report; this resulted in last minute charges to the scheme to ensure that those harmed by Smith would be eligible for the scheme. Further, there have been amendments to the scheme rules to ensure that people who received previous payouts from the Interim Support Scheme would not be deducted from any subsequent awards made by the redress scheme.

If you require advise about the scheme or your eligibility to make an application, please contact a member of the team. We will be able to prepare your application in readiness for the scheme opening.

For details of the scheme, which is still in its development process, please see below:

On the 14th July 2025, the Church of England gave final approval to a comprehensive redress scheme for survivors of Church related abuse. This completes the Church’s legislative process, paving the way for the scheme to open for redress applications, subject to Parliamentary approval and royal assent.
From the 18th July 2025 a public website was opened to enable prospective applicants to register their interest and received advance notification of the scheme’s official opening date once it is known.
Prospective applicants can register their interest by visiting the website below. Once the scheme is open and operating, survivors will be able to apply at this same dedicated website: http://www.redresscofe.org/
The key details of the draft scheme, which is still in its development stages are:
Eligibility:
The scheme will be open to both adult and child survivors of abuse within the Church of England.
Abuse:
The Church has indicated that the scheme will not just be for those who have suffered sexual abuse, it will cover other forms of abuse as well including, physical abuse, psychological/emotional abuse, spiritual abuse, financial abuse, neglect and maltreatment.
An applicant must meet two conditions:
1. The abuse was either someone in authority in the Church or the applicant had reasonable grounds to believe that they had authority and
2. That there was a close connection between the activities authorised for performing that role and carrying out the abuse.
Redress:
This includes financial compensation, therapeutic, spiritual, and emotional support, as well as an acknowledgment of wrongdoing and an apology from the Church. It is predicted that monetary awards under the scheme could range from £5,000 to £600,000.
How will the scheme work:
The current proposals are that the scheme will have a four-stage framework:
Stage 1: Application will be assessed according to the type of abuse with awards ranging between £5,000 to £150,000.
Stage 2: Any aggravating factors will be considered, which could result in the stage one award being increased by up to 100%.
Stage 3: The impact of the abuse on the applicant will be considered and could add between £10,000 and £250,000 to the award.
Stage 4: In rare circumstances there may be a further 20% uplift.
Legal Costs:
Legal costs associated with making a claim will be covered.
Claimants:
If a survivor dies, their partner, dependent child, or parent can bring a claim on their behalf.
Scheme Duration:
The scheme is intended to be open for a period of five years.
Survivor Involvement:
Survivors have been actively involved in the development of the scheme, contributing their expertise and experience through a working group.
Financial Provisions:
The Church has already allocated £150 million to fund the redress scheme
We would urge anyone who would like advice to contact us now to discuss your potential eligibility to claim compensation under the scheme. We can get your case ready so as soon as the scheme opens, we can put your application in promptly.

Jordans Solicitors – helping victims of sexual abuse claim compensation.

If you have been a victim of physical and/or sexual abuse and would like to speak to one of our Specialist Abuse Lawyers in confidence, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We have the knowledge and experience to advise you on the available options for pursuing a Criminal Injuries Compensation Claim and/or civil damages claim.

Our Abuse Compensation Team can be contacted by telephoning 08009555094 or 03303001103.