The families of victims to get
MONEY WILL COME FROM WE LOVE MANCHESTER FUND
THE families of the 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena bomb attack, including four victims from the North East, are set to receive £250,000.
The money from the We Love Manchester fund will be given to the next of kin as identified by the coroner when he opened the inquests in June.
Sue Murphy, chairwoman of the fund and deputy leader of Manchester City Council, said they had already handed over the first £70,000 and should get the balance in the coming weeks.
She said “virtually all” those who qualify for money from the We Love Manchester fund have accepted it.
Among those killed in the May attack at the Ariana Grande concert were Liam Curry, 19, and Chloe Rutherford, 17, both from South Shields as well as Philip Tron, 32, and Courtney Boyle, 19, both from Gateshead.
Any payments from the We Love Manchester fund are separate from compensation from the government’s Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
Ms Murphy said the Department for Work and Pensions had assured her that anyone in receipt of money from the Manchester fund would not have their benefits cut.
The final fund total will not be confirmed until all of the pledged money comes in, including £2m raised via text donations from the One Love concert, when Ariana Grande returned to perform in Manchester less than two weeks after the attack.
The 57 people who spent seven or more nights in the hospital as a result of their injuries have so far received £60,000 each from the We Love Manchester fund, which is expected to reach somewhere between £16m and £17m.
In all, 11 people are still in hospital following the Arena attack, accord-