How veterans-UK can help you

There is a widespread belief that the UK treats its Armed Forces veterans pretty shabbily in comparison with other countries. Much is made, for example, of the USA’s hospitals, compensation and powerful ex-Service networks. It may be the case that some wounded Service people get a raw deal, that some operations-related conditions are unrecognised, and that it took SSAFA’s public campaign to allow Headley Court to develop extra accommodation. Indeed, recent very public campaigns have seen compensation levels rise significantly, and it is likely that they will rise still further.

However, the help available to veterans and people who are still serving in the Armed Forces can be more than most people realise, and it can be easier to access than some may think. In addition, it is in a different league to the help that was on tap 25 years or so ago, and a country mile away from the opinions frequently expressed by ‘Horrified of Henley’ in the nation’s broadsheets. Indeed, some civilian employers would be hard pressed to match the breadth of service, speed of response and levels of compensation now available.

In this article, Clare Valentine of Veterans-UK explains what help is available and how people can best access it.

The word ‘veteran’ often conjures up a particular image – that of our older generation who served so magnificently in the Second World War. However, anyone who has served in HM Forces, regardless of when, for how long, and whether in conflict or peacetime is, by definition, a veteran. If you were in the Royal Navy, Army or Royal Air Force, even if only for one day, you are a veteran and as such can access a vast network of support and guidance.

Veterans-UK

Veterans-UK is the new brand bringing together all services to veterans. It is the first stop for veterans who need help and advice. A new organisation has been formed that uses this name for its services: the MoD’s Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA). The Agency (formally the Veterans Agency and AFPAA) provides a range of ‘through life’ support functions directly to around 900,000 serving people and the veterans’ community. These include pay and human resources for the Armed Forces, pension schemes and compensation arrangements for veterans and those disabled or bereaved through service, and a dedicated welfare service providing one-to-one support, in the home if this is necessary.

Whether the enquiry is about accessing service records, finding out about entitlement to a war pension, the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, health concerns or any other issue, the Agency is here to help. If it cannot help on the spot, it is at the heart of a wide network of support designed to help ex-Servicemen and women and their families. By working in close partnership with ex-Service organisations, war pensions committees and other voluntary groups and statutory bodies it can point individuals towards the right direction for sound, practical assistance.

Home visits

No matter where in the UK, one of the Agency’s dedicated welfare managers can visit people in their homes if that is requested. They can provide face-to-face help on all the issues mentioned in this article, as well as statutory benefits, health, training, employment and housing. Please call the number given at the end for more information.

The new Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

SPVA administers the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS). Launched on 6 April 2005, it provides a simple and quick means of compensating Service (and ex-Service) people for injuries, illness and death caused by service, including training, accidents, and those caused by acts of terrorism and warlike incidents. It is a tri-Service scheme and also provides income payments to dependants (spouses, civil partners, eligible partners and children) when a person’s death is due to service. This can include a tax-free bereavement grant of up to £20,000.

AFCS covers all regular and reserve Service people, including Gurkhas, and, for the first time, tax-free lump-sum awards can be paid to members of the Armed Forces while they are still serving. If they eventually have to leave the Services as a result of injury or illness due to their time in uniform, they may also be eligible for tax-free income payments, which are targeted at helping the most severely disabled people. AFCS compensation applies only to injury, illness or death caused by service on or after 6 April 2005. It does not affect those already in receipt of a war disablement or war widows’ pension.

AFCS supersedes the older war pensions and war widow(er)s’ pension schemes. These apply to medical conditions caused by service before 6 April 2005, and to elements of the Armed Forces Pension scheme, but new claims are still being made under all three, all being managed by SPVA.

How AFCS works

Any condition or symptom suffered can be the subject of a claim as long as it is service-related. The scheme uses a tariff-based system of compensation payments with a sliding scale of awards based on the severity of the injury. Claiming is straightforward: a claim form is completed, any supporting evidence is attached and it is sent to SPVA at Blackpool. On receipt and review, either more information is requested, usually from Service medical authorities or commanding officers, or a decision is made there and then.

AFCS is a ‘no fault’ scheme, so that individuals still have the option to sue the MoD for negligence if they believe they have a case. Underpinning AFCS is a new IT process: the Compensation and Pensions System (CAPS). A key feature is ‘statute expert’, which enables administrators to reach consistent decisions across a wide range of medical conditions. They use a complex but simple to use multi-choice question-and-answer procedure, guiding the user to a decision. Professional medical advice is always available to resolve more problematic cases.

AFCS at a glance

Benefits

• A tax-free lump sum awarded for pain and suffering, which varies according to the severity of the injury or illness, and can be paid in-Service.
• For more serious injury, a tax-free Guaranteed Income Payment (GIP) can be awarded for life; GIP is paid only after discharge.
• On death-in-Service or in retirement, spouses, civil partners, eligible partners and children may also qualify for GIP; a tax-free bereavement grant of up to £20,000.
• GIP takes into account pension, but not lump sum, benefits paid from the Armed and Reserve Forces pension schemes.

When claims should be made

• Claims can be made while still serving in the Armed Forces.
• A claim should be made within five years of the date of the event/incident that caused the injury and/or illness.
• On invaliding or following death-in-Service, compensation payments will be considered without the need for Service personnel or their families to claim.

To make a claim, you should use the official form and submit it directly to SPVA accompanied by any supporting evidence. For help in completing the claim form, call freephone: 0800 169 2277.

Next steps of the claim procedure

• The claim is reviewed using evidence from Service and civilian medical and health & safety information and unit records.
• Where it is considered ‘more likely than not’ that the injury, illness or death was caused by Service activity, an award will be made.
• A full explanation on the decision will be provided in writing, including any rejection.
• A reconsideration and appeals process is available to review any decision.

To speed up decision making, CAPS is linked to the Joint Personnel Administration System, which holds personal and service details of every Serviceman and woman in the Forces.

Martyn Blythe from the AFCS Team at Blackpool believes that: ‘AFCS runs alongside the war pension scheme. Every claim received is reviewed to identify which scheme it falls under. Those being medically discharged do not need to claim as we will look at their case automatically. Similarly, for death-in-Service cases which are treated as priorities, we liaise closely with the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre and our welfare colleagues to ensure the whole process is efficient and effective, with minimum disruption for the family.’

To request an AFCS or war pension claim form, or for further information, call 0800 169 2277, or you can download a form at www.veterans-uk.info and click for pensions/compensation.

A case in point …

The first in-Service claim was from a guardsman serving in Iraq, some two and a half years ago. He was on patrol in a vehicle that was blown up, and was thrown against the roof by the explosion, breaking two of his front teeth. On his behalf, his regimental administration officer contacted SPVA by email on 3 May 2005, requesting a compensation claim form that was emailed back to him the following day.

The claim form was completed and returned to the Agency’s AFCS team, arriving on 20 May. It was accompanied by a detailed report from the dental centre in Al-Amarah. The form and report combined provided sufficient evidence for the claim to be approved and a tax-free payment of £2,625 was authorised on 24 May, just three weeks later. A written notification and reasons for the decision were issued to the guardsman the same day. However, on average, claims take around nine weeks to process.