Gordon Marsden – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that injured military veterans do not have to pay social care costs out of their military compensation; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt

Armed forces veterans injured in service receive payments either through the War Disablement Pension (WDP) or the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS). The AFCS applies to veterans injured from 6 April 2005. These payments are divided into a personal injury compensation element and other payments. Traditionally, only the personal injury compensation payment has been fully disregarded.

Since October 2012 Guaranteed Income Payments made to veterans under the AFCS have been disregarded. The Department has been in discussion with the Royal British Legion about how WDP payments are treated. Currently the first £10 per week of WDP payments is disregarded. The Government is considering how WDP payments to veterans should be treated in the financial assessment for social care charging in future.