Benefits for people injured by service in the armed forces

Applies to:  England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Who does it help?

You might be able to get financial help from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme if you suffer from illness or injury caused by service in the armed forces on or after 6 April 2005.  If the period of service which caused your illness or disability was before this date, you can get help from the War Pension scheme.

The Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA) (link opens in a new window), which is part of the Ministry of Defence, runs both these schemes.

You do not have to have fought in a war or seen active service to get financial help from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, as long as you are injured or disabled because of serving in the armed forces.

If you are a widow, widower or surviving civil partner and your partner died as a result of service in the armed forces, or was getting a war pension or help from the compensation scheme when they died, you may also be able to get financial help from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. For more information about other help you can get if you are a widow, widower or surviving civil partner, see Benefits for people who are Bereaved and Bereavement.

Is it means-tested?

These payments do not depend on your income or savings.  But payments might affect other means-tested benefits like Income Support or Housing Benefit (England, Wales, Scotland) and Housing Benefit (Northern Ireland). Other benefits like Disability Living Allowance are not affected by the scheme.

What help does the benefit provide?

You may get weekly payments or a lump sum depending on which scheme covers you and whether your earnings are likely to be reduced because of your condition. 

How much does it pay?

The amount you get will depend on how severely you have been hurt or disabled and how your earnings are affected.  Under the War Pension scheme, you can also get extra allowances, for example, if you have care needs or mobility problems.  You cannot get these under the compensation scheme, but you may be able to get Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance instead.

How to claim

If you want to claim a War Pension or help from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, you should get in touch with the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency to get a claim form.  They will help you fill it in.  You can call their helpline on: 0800 169 2277. You can also download a claim form (link opens in a new window PDF file size 160kb) from the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency website.

Further help

The Service Personnel and Veterans Agency has a helpline on: 0800 169 22 77. 

You can find more information about the War Pension and Armed Forces Compensation schemes (link opens in a new window) on the Veterans UK website.

Directgov, the government website (link opens in a new window) , has more information about benefits if you have been injured by service in the Armed Forces 

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This information has been produced by Citizens Advice. 

Last updated: 12 May 2009