Cabinet Office UK Resilience

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Case Study

Topic

Financial Support for Individuals

Incident / Exercise

Incident: 7 July 2005 London Bombings

Background and context

The bombings in London on 7 July 2005 killed 52 people and seriously injured around 50 others. Approximately 800 other people suffered minor injuries, or were directly involved in the four explosions – three on the London Underground at Edgware Road, Aldgate and Kings Cross/Russell Square, and one on a bus at Tavistock Square.

How the topic was handled

Financial assistance to those directly affected by the London bombings was available as follows:

• Compensation via the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority - £3.5m in compensation has so far been paid out in respect of 513 applications
• Charitable donations via the London Bombings Relief Charitable Fund (LBRCF), which raised over £12m.
• Benefits advice was provided by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and through local benefit offices. Representatives from DWP also provided advice and support at the Family Assistance Centre, established in the first few days and weeks after 7 July.
• Free financial advice was provided by Origen Financial Services (who had previously offered financial advice following the tsunami) via a freephone number.

Lessons Identified

The Government publication Addressing lessons learned from the emergency response to the 7 July 2005 London bombings: what we learned and what we are doing about it highlighted the need for a simple, sensitive compensation scheme in the event of future disasters.

Lessons on how to simplify the applications process for compensation payments were learnt through the LBRCF, praised by many of those who received grants. The LBRCF also conducted its own lessons learned review, The Lessons We Learned.

Contacts for Further Information

Additional Documents

The Lessons We Learned (London Bombings Relief Charitable Fund)

Addressing lessons learned from the emergency response to the 7 July 2005 London bombings: what we learned and what we are doing about it