Benefit system for injured war veterans is worse than the DWP
It’s no surprise: the UK has a prime minister who showed his contempt for the armed forces by laying a wreath face down one year. The Ministry of Defence spitting on injured veterans is par for the course.
After a weekend in which Conservative politicians across the UK stood in all their hypocrisy and mouthed empty words of thanks to soldiers they despise… this:
Former members of the forces say they have been left ‘suicidal, homeless and let down’ by a system of payouts that is tough to navigate and appeal, leaving many feeling betrayed by the government they once served.
Thousands of veterans are struggling to get government payouts for injuries caused in service, with some facing poverty and suicide over the issue.
These veterans overwhelmingly report the same things – not getting the level of payment they need and then facing lengthy and complex battles to get an increase.
Does that seem familiar to you?
Payments to injured veterans come in war pensions and the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) – both administered by the Ministry of Defence which, it seems, couldn’t care less.
Anyone physically or mentally harmed during service before April 6, 2005, should receive war pension payments. Those injured after that date must apply to the AFCS.
But in practice, getting what they are owed seems impossible.
According to The Mirror,
Many former soldiers … report that vital medical evidence proving their claims is removed by the time their appeals are heard.
If veterans are unhappy with their war pension or AFCS payment, they can appeal. But for many the appeal process is complicated and long.
Veterans will often give up on the system or – tragically – die before they get any payment increase.
The Mirror‘s article features accounts by, and about, a large number of veterans who have been struggling to receive benefits they deserve after suffering injuries in the name of their country.
It seems to be unspoken Conservative government policy – consider the policy of the Department for Work and Pensions to deprive sick and disabled civilians of the payments they need if they’re to live lives that are close to normal.
This Writer has to ask what the legions of flag-waving patriots who observe Remembrance Day in good faith think of this betrayal.
Source: Thousands of injured war veterans denied full disability benefits in ‘cruel’ move – Mirror Online
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