Manchester Arena attack survivors claim new support for disaster victims 'does not go far enough'

• Dr Cath Hill, leader of Bee the Difference, says more funding is needed to help victims of disasters, like the Arena attack, Hillsborough and Grenfell Tower.

Campaigners who survived the Manchester Arena attack claim newly announced support for victims of disasters will not go far enough.

Witnesses to atrocities, such as the Hillsborough Disaster, Grenfell Tower and terror attacks, will be offered similar support to bereaved families nationwide for the first time.The Government has promised an extra £600,000, which comes from existing budgets and will be added to the £4.6 million previously allocated to the Homicide Service.

But the Bee The Difference research project, which was set up in the wake of the Arena attack and aims to change the way young people are dealt with in the aftermath of traumatising events, says more funding is needed.

Dr Cath Hill, a professor at Lancaster University and leader of the project, said: "Lots of people who are affected by a disaster, or in our case a terror attack, are deeply affected and it can traumatise people.

"It's incredibly important that bereaved families get that first initial response, but it's also important to recognise that lots of people that get caught up in something like this are also deeply affected."

A recent report released on the sixth anniversary of the atrocity found a third of young survivors received no professional support after the attack.

The National Homicide Service, delivered by the charity Victim Support, currently provides services only for those who are bereaved through murder or manslaughter.

Grief-stricken families are meant to be offered support from the Homicide Service by police following a murder or other crime which results in death.

The eligibility changes mean anyone who directly witnesses such an incident and any child or young person who knows the victim can also be referred.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) gave examples of a pupil in the class of a teacher who has been killed, or a member of a place of worship which loses a religious leader.

The rollout of the expansion across England and Wales follows a successful pilot in London and will mean approximately 1,200 more people will be offered support, it said.

Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk KC, said: "The Homicide Service provides vital support to the families of victims under the worst of circumstances – ensuring they have the emotional and practical help they need to cope with their loss. 

"By expanding the service to include eyewitnesses and bereaved families of major incidents across England and Wales thousands more people will be able to access the support they need as early as possible."

Ellen Milazzo, head of the National Homicide Service at Victim Support, said: “We set up the service in 2010 and it has gone from strength to strength ever since.

“Expanding it to include support for direct eyewitnesses to homicide or a major criminal incident where a person is killed, alongside enhanced support for children and young people, is a brilliant step.”

However, opposition MPs have criticised the scope of the measures and called on the Government to improve legal representation offered to those affected by tragedies.

Shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said: “Victims have been left out to dry under this Conservative Government.

“Labour stands unequivocally with the families and survivors of Hillsborough, Grenfell and Manchester. We must do everything within our power to prevent tragedies like this ever happening again.

“Victims have repeatedly called for the Hillsborough Law, to ensure that victims of major tragedies get the same legal representation as the authorities that failed them.

"The Government has failed to provide this parity, only Labour will deliver it.”

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