The families of the 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena bombing will each receive £250,000 from the We Love Manchester emergency fund, which was donated by members of the public. The fund, expected to reach between £16m and £17m, has already distributed £60,000 to each of the 57 people who spent seven or more nights in hospital.
Among the beneficiaries are Patrycia and Alex Klis, aged 12 and 20, who lost both parents in the attack. They will receive £500,000 between them. The day after the attack, Alex posted a Facebook appeal for information about her parents, including a selfie they had taken in Manchester hours before their death.
The payments contrast with those for Grenfell Tower fire victims, where only a fraction of the £18.9m raised has been distributed. Families of Grenfell victims are eligible for an initial £10,000, and those who lost a relative can receive £20,000.
Sue Murphy, chair of the fund and deputy leader of Manchester City Council, said the next of kin of each victim have already received the first £70,000 and should get the balance in the coming weeks. The fund has yet to decide on further payments for those with life-changing injuries.
Murphy expressed frustration that the government has not yet pledged to cover the administration costs of the fund, estimated at up to £450,000. The government has, however, provided £2.6m for the Manchester Resilience Hub to support mental health affected by the attack.
