July bomb fund payments reach £7m

About 250 victims or their families have now received grants

More than £7m in charity payments has been given to victims of the 7 July bombings, the London Bombing Relief Charitable Fund (LBRCF) has announced.

The final grants from public donations to the fund, set up by the Red Cross and Mayor Ken Livingstone, have been made to about 250 victims or families.

Anyone who has not yet contacted the charity has until 31 March to apply.

The payments are separate from compensation from the government's Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.

Previous LBRCF grants were given between July and November 2005 and total donations to the fund have now reached £9m.

'Immediate needs'

The LBRCF said it will not guarantee new awards after 31 March but "will treat applications with compassion where there are exceptional circumstances, and within the funds it has available".

The charity's latest round of payments will see a bereaved spouse or partner receive another £10,000, making a total of £55,000 in available payments to date.

The next-of-kin of someone who died without a spouse or partner are in line for an additional £5,000, bringing their total LBRCF payment up to £40,000.

A dependant child's total payment will reach £32,500 with the latest grant of £5,000, while the most seriously injured will get between £10,000 and £45,000, bringing a total available to them of between £40,000 and £120,000.