Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme to all veterans.
Answered by Al Carns
The Ministry of Defence runs two main active no-fault compensation schemes:
- Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS)
- War Pension Scheme (WPS)
The AFCS provides compensation for injury or illness caused or made worse by Service; or death caused by Service from 6 April 2005. Claims before 6 April 2005 are made under the WPS and provides compensation and supplementary allowances for disablement or death due to injury. There is a long-standing principle of not making retrospective changes to Government Pension Schemes. This principle ensures the long-term sustainability and affordability of these schemes.
Both schemes have and are already open to all veterans where sickness or injury has arisen due to their Service. There are no plans to extend the scheme to all veterans whose injury or illness was not due to their Service, and which may have happened under other circumstances. The AFCS continues to be independently reviewed every five years to ensure it remains fit for purpose – a process known as the Quinquennial Review, led by an independent, external reviewer.
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