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Who can claim?

You may be able to get a Vaccine Damage Payment if you're severely disabled and your disability was caused by vaccination against any of these diseases:

You may have had a combined vaccination against a number of the diseases listed, for example DTP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis) or MMR (measles, mumps and rubella).

You may also be able to get a payment if you're thought to be severely disabled because either:

What counts as 'severely disabled'?

Disablement is worked out as a percentage, and 'severe disablement' is defined as a disability of at least 60 per cent. This could be a mental or physical disability.

For example, total loss of sight or hearing is usually counted as a 100 per cent disablement.

When and where the vaccination must have taken place

To be eligible for Vaccine Damage Payment, you must normally have been vaccinated before your 18th birthday, unless it was against poliomyelitis, rubella, Meningococcal Group C or human papillomavirus, or during an outbreak of disease in the UK or the Isle of Man.

The vaccination must have been given in the UK or the Isle of Man.

If the vaccination was given outside the UK, you may still be able to get a payment if you were vaccinated as part of Armed Forces medical treatment.

When to claim

If you're claiming on behalf of a child, you must wait until they're at least two years old before claiming.

The claim must be made by the later of the following dates:

How much do you get?

The amount is £120,000, tax free.

How it's paid

A payment will be made to you or, if you're under 18 or cannot manage your own affairs, to your trustees.

If you live with your family, your parents may be appointed as trustees.

Effect on other benefits

Your Vaccine Damage Payment can affect other benefits and entitlements like:

The effect the payment will have depends on a number of things, including whether the payment is put into a trust and the payments made from it.

You should let the office that deals with your benefit or tax credit claim know if you've got a Vaccine Damage Payment. They will be able give you more information and advice.

How to claim

You can contact the Vaccine Damage Payments Unit to ask for a claim form:

Vaccine Damage Payments Unit

Palatine House, Lancaster Road

Preston, PR1 1HB

Telephone: 01772 899944

Textphone: 01772 562202

Lines are open from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Thursday, and 9.00 am to 4.30 pm on Friday. You can also call using RNID Typetalk.

Alternatively, you can download a claim form to print off and fill in.

If you're under 18, your parent or guardian should claim on your behalf.

• Download the Vaccine Damage Payment claim form (PDF document, 192K) Opens new window
• Download Vaccine Damage Payments leaflet (PDF, 420K)
• Help with PDF files

What happens after you've sent off the claim form

Once your claim has been received, the Vaccine Damage Payments Unit will get medical evidence from the doctors or hospitals involved in your treatment.

A claim will be successful if it's accepted that:

The result of the claim will be given to you in writing.

How to appeal

If your claim is turned down and you disagree with the decision, you can ask for the decision to be looked at again by the Vaccine Damage Payments Unit, or you can appeal to an independent appeal tribunal.

If you think that relevant information has not been taken into account or new information becomes available you can ask for the decision to be looked at again by the Vaccine Damage Payments Unit.