© 2023 Ellie Kealey for Human Rights WatchIn response to a Windrush family’s complaint, the British Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has found serious problems with the Home Office’s management of the Windrush Compensation Scheme. Windrush claimants need access to free legal representation to provide protection against arbitrary compensation decisions and denial of compensation. In 2019, the Home Office initiated the Windrush Compensation Scheme to “right the wrongs” that arose from its failure to issue members of the Windrush generation with documentation to prove their lawful status in the UK. Their review of the impact of legal support in 17 Windrush compensation cases found that compensation offers significantly increased with the support of a lawyer. Lawyers for Windrush claimants are currently appealing a 2024 High Court decision that upheld the government’s decision to deny Windrush claimants legal aid.