Veterans: Pain
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he is taking steps to make veterans with chronic pain eligible for the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
Answered by Mr Calvin Bailey
The Ministry of Defence has assessed that both the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and the War Pension Scheme (WPS) already provide compensation for pain and suffering as part of a holistic assessment of service-attributable injury or illness.
Under both schemes, chronic pain is not normally treated as a standalone condition. Instead, it is generally considered an expected consequence of a primary injury and is reflected within the overall award.
Where there is a distinct and separately diagnosable chronic pain condition, such as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, this may be considered on its own merits on a case-by-case basis
The Department keeps the operation of both schemes under review. The Independent Medical Expert Group (IMEG) is currently considering evidence and stakeholder concerns on how chronic pain is reflected within existing arrangements. No final conclusions have yet been reached.
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