Named for a woman who inspired a Hollywood movie, the law will be welcomed by the city’s Irish community
The law is named after Philomena Lee whose story was told in a film starring Dame Judi Dench and Steve Coogan
Coventry women who survived cruel Mother and Baby Homes in Ireland are set to benefit from a new law that has been passed.
For decades women and girls in Ireland who fell pregnant out of wedlock were treated like pariahs and made to stay in church-led Mother and Baby Homes. They were often forced to work to earn their keep and in many instances their children were sold by the church to wealthy families around the world.
This is what happened to Philomena Lee. After falling pregnant aged 18 she was sent to Sean Ross Abbey in Roscrea, which took in unwed mothers. She was made to stay there until she was 22 – her three-year-old son was adopted by a Catholic family in the United States without her consent.
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Her story reached an international audience through the Oscar-nominated film Philomena, starring Steve Coogan and Dame Judi Dench – based on the book by Martin Sixsmith.
But Philomena wasn’t a unique case – children of unwed Irish women had been systematically taken from them and given up for adoption without their consent for decades.
Under the Irish government’s redress scheme, victims have been receiving compensation. However, many women living in the UK, including in Coventry, have been foregoing the money for worries it will jeopardise what benefits they are entitled too.
Coventry East MP Mary Creagh at the city’s canal basin(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service )
At the UK-Ireland Summit in Cork on Friday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced the British government will introduce Philomena’s Law.
This will prevent survivors of Ireland’s Mother and Baby Homes living in Coventry from losing vital means-tested benefits after accepting compensation from the Irish government’s redress scheme. Under the change, payments received through Ireland’s Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme will be ringfenced and will not be counted as savings when assessing eligibility for UK benefits such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit, and Housing Benefit.
For thousands of survivors living in Britain, this removes a situation that had forced many to choose between accepting long-awaited redress for the abuse they experienced, or retaining the financial support they rely on through means-tested benefits.
The announcement follows a year-long campaign by Labour MP Liam Conlon MP with organisations including the national charity Irish in Britain. Prominent Irish public figures including Siobhán McSweeney, Dara Ó Briain, Emma Dabiri and Steve Coogan have also supported the campaign.
Philomena, who is now in her 90s, said: “As someone who experienced the cruelty of a Mother and Baby home, I know that no amount of money can ever undo the pain or give back what was taken from so many women like me. But recognition, accountability and redress do matter, and no survivor should ever be penalised for accepting the compensation they are rightfully owed.
“I am truly pleased that the Government has recognised this by confirming that Philomena’s Law will now come into effect. This is a deeply meaningful step forward, and I’m sincerely grateful to everyone who has worked so tirelessly to make it happen, including Liam, Irish in Britain and all of its member organisations across the country.
“It has been a real honour to lend my name to this campaign. I hope this moment brings long-awaited justice for survivors living in Britain, and that it also helps shine a light on the legacy of the Mother and Baby homes, reminding us all of the importance of treating survivors with dignity, compassion and kindness.”
Mary Creagh MP for Coventry East speaking at a Midlands Connect event today, 28 February (Image: Stewart Writtle / Midlands Connect)
Mary Creagh CBE, Labour MP for Coventry East said: “I know this will be welcomed by Coventry’s Irish community. In January visited the Coventry Irish Centre, and spoke to people who have been anxious about accepting redress from the Irish government if it had an impact on the means tested income they were receiving.
“This law shows the government are tackling the stigma and shame that have wrongly followed many women and their children for so long. It treats thousands of survivors with the kindness and dignity they have so often been denied throughout their lives.”
Liam Conlon, Labour MP for Beckenham and Penge, said: “I’m delighted the Prime Minister has announced the government’s support for Philomena’s Law, helping to deliver long-awaited justice for nearly 13,000 survivors in Britain. I’m proud to have led this campaign, working with Irish community organisations right across the country, and so many survivors who have been part of this campaign.
“When I introduced Philomena’s Law to Parliament exactly one year ago, I said this was about more than redress payments.
“This has all been about survivors – and their voices and stories have been at the heart of this campaign from the beginning. They include Philomena Lee – and I would like to extend my thanks and gratitude once again to Philomena for lending her name to this campaign, for her courage in telling her story to a global audience, and the support of all her family including her daughter Jane and grandson Joshua who were in Parliament every step of the way.”
Brian Dalton, CEO of Irish in Britain, said: “This is very welcome news for those living with the legacy of institutional abuse in Ireland’s Mother and Baby Homes and some assurance of fairness for those waiting to access redress payments here in Britain. For our member organisations providing vital specialist support, it brings clarity to their work, ensuring survivors’ interests are properly safeguarded.”
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