THE Windrush compensation scheme still feels “opaque and unjust” to many victims and must be urgently reformed, the government was warned today.

In his first formal recommendations since being appointed Windrush commissioner this summer, Reverend Clive Foster urged faster action, stressing the age and health of many affected.

In a five-page letter to migration and citizenship minister Seema Malhotra, copied to former home secretary Yvette Cooper hours before her move to the Foreign Office, Mr Foster said some still believe “the Home Office is waiting for us to die off.”

He wrote: “It’s deeply concerning that, according to Home Office records, 66 people have died while waiting for compensation. 

“These figures have contributed to a widespread perception that the Home Office is not acting with sufficient urgency.”

Mr Foster's letter, which will now be on newly appointed minister Shabana Mahmood’s desk, called for an urgent update on progress since Ms Cooper pledged a rapid review of pension losses last year. 

He said survivors had “consistently raised concerns with me about the real financial losses they’ve suffered, which are not adequately reflected in current compensation awards,” including lost pensions.

The pastor also relayed accounts of an “overwhelming and retraumatising” process, calling for reform so the scheme is “swift, fair and accessible, but also trauma-informed and respectful of lived experience.”

Mr Foster acknowledged recent improvements, but said these fail to fully meet applicants’ needs, with survivors reporting “long waits, unclear outcomes, and the emotional toll of navigating a process that feels opaque and unjust.”

He urged greater support for applicants, stronger overseas outreach, and “reconciliation-led approaches” to prevent future injustices.

The Windrush scandal erupted in 2018 when British citizens were wrongly detained, deported or threatened with deportation. 

A Home Office spokesperson said it is “determined to right the wrongs” of the scandal and said ministers will meet with Mr Foster to discuss “further improvements to our schemes.”