MORE than 70 survivors of abuse in care who are elderly or terminally ill have been awarded £10,000 compensation payments by the Scottish Government.

Since the Advance Payment Scheme was launched more than seven weeks ago, 71 payments have been approved and a further 52 are being considered.

More than 150 application packs have been sent out since the scheme opened on April 25 and around 500 have been downloaded from the Scottish Government website.

Those who suffered abuse in care before December 2004, and who are aged 70 or over or are terminally ill, are eligible for the £10,000 flat rate.

Applicants do not need to provide proof they were abused, but are required to submit documentary evidence which shows that they were in care.

A dedicated phone line has been set up to help abuse survivors apply.

The payments are being awarded while the Scottish Government continues to work on a statutory redress scheme for survivors of in-care abuse.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “I am pleased that more than 70 payments have now been approved under the Advance Payment Scheme, which recognises the harm done to children who were abused while in care.

“We continue to do everything possible to help survivors and their families though our simple application process and, where appropriate, we point them to sources of care records.

“As a result, no-one has been refused an application due to lack of documentary evidence of being in care.”

The Advance Payment Scheme, which has a potential fund of £10 million, was launched after some survivors died before getting justice. They included Frank Doherty, the founder of the leading victims’ group In Care Abuse Survivors.

The payments have been made after many years of campaigning for justice by former residents of children’s homes who experienced abuse.

Work on the wider compensation scheme is underway as major public inquiry led by Lady Smith continues.

The Scottish Child Abuse inquiry was set up in 2015 into the abuse of children in institutional care including by religious orders, as well as council run-children’s homes and secure care.

The inquiry has completed three phases and has heard many harrowing accounts from former children’s homes residents.

Last month it published its case study findings on homes run by the religious order the Sisters of Nazareth.

The report concluded that some children at the Nazareth House orphanages were subjected to sexual abuse of the “utmost depravity” and that youngsters were physically abused and emotionally degraded “with impunity”.

Chairwoman Lady Smith said the children’s homes were places of fear, hostility and confusion.

The Sisters of Nazareth charity said it had apologised for any abuse that took place in its institutions.

The fourth phase of the inquiry began on June 4 and relates to investigations into residential child care establishments run by male religious orders.

Last week a former teacher at St Ninian’s residential school in Falkland, Fife claimed boys would sexually assault younger children at the home run by the Congregation of Christian Brothers when he worked there during the late 1950s and 1960s.