Landmark Decision at York Meeting
The Church of England’s General Synod has given final approval to a comprehensive redress scheme for survivors of Church-related abuse during its meeting in York this weekend. The landmark vote on Monday, July 14, 2025, concluded with a near unanimous majority across all three houses of the General Synod. The vote breakdown was: Bishops: 26 in favour, 0 against, 0 abstentions; Clergy: 129 in favour, 1 against, 1 abstention; Laity: 140 in favour, 0 against, 4 abstentions.
Today’s vote completes the Church’s legislative process, paving the way for the scheme to open for applications, subject to parliamentary approval and royal assent.
The redress scheme will offer financial awards ranging from £5,000 to £660,000 in exceptional circumstances, calculated through a four-stage process. Stage One will award between £5,000. Stage Two allows this initial award to be multiplied by up to a factor of two for aggravating factors, such as prolonged abuse or dismissed reports by church officials.
Stage Three grants additional awards up to £250,000 considering the impact of abuse, while in exceptional circumstances, Stage Four permits a 20% increase on the cumulative sum[3]
In addition to monetary compensation, the Church of England will offer a formal apology and acknowledgment of wrongdoing; provide therapeutic, spiritual, and emotional support; offer
bespoke forms of redress tailored to individual needs; overseen by an independent administration from trained assessors free from Church influence.
The Church Commissioners have committed £150 million to the scheme, underscoring the Church’s dedication to its long-term sustainability. However, some experts predict the total cost could reach £500 million as demand becomes clearer.
A significant amendment was approved during the debate, brought forward by the Rt. Rev. Julie Conalty of Chester. This amendment ensured that financial awards from the existing Interim Support Scheme (ISS) will not be offset against future financial awards made through the main redress scheme.
This amendment addressed concerns from abuse survivors who worried that receiving interim support payments would reduce their eventual compensation under the full scheme. The amendment ensured that those who received emergency financial help while waiting for the main scheme would not be penalized.
The scheme will cover survivors of multiple forms of abuse perpetrated by someone representing the Church of England including: sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional and psychological abuse, spiritual abuse, neglect and financial abuse.
Following the Makin Review into abuse by the late Christian barrister John Smyth, the eligibility criteria were updated to more fully address situations where Church office-holders received safeguarding allegations but failed to respond appropriately.
A key principle of the scheme is its independent administration, ensuring decisions are made by trained assessors free from influence by Church officials or bishops. Kennedys Law has been appointed as the Scheme Administrator, the firm that managed the Lambeth Children’s Homes Redress Scheme.
The Church will launch a public website on 18 July 2025 (www.redresscofe.org) enabling prospective applicants to register their interest and receive advance notification of the scheme’s official opening date.
Phil Johnson, a survivor of Church-related abuse and member of the Redress Project Board, welcomed the 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”.
The Rt. Rev. Philip Mounstephen of Winchester, Chair of the Redress Project Board, stated: “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”.
The scheme has been developed over four years in response to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), with over 160 policy decisions taken with survivor input through the Redress Survivor Working Group. The scheme represents the Church’s attempt to address the IICSA findings that the Church had become “a place where abusers could hide”.
The scheme still requires parliamentary approval and royal assent before becoming operational, with Church leaders working cooperatively with parliamentarians to expedite the process. While no specific opening date has been confirmed, the infrastructure is now in place to receive applications once legislation is complete.
This comprehensive redress scheme represents one of the most significant responses to institutional abuse in the Church of England’s history, designed to provide trauma-informed, person-centered support for survivors while acknowledging the profound harm caused by Church-related abuse.