Oral Answers to Questions

Patricia Gibson Excerpts

Monday 20th November 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I am happy to look at an Adjournment debate, if that helps, but we have to have short questions to get other people in.

[Patricia Gibson (North Ayrshire and Arran) (SNP)]

5. What steps he is taking to support veterans.

[Selaine Saxby (North Devon) (Con)]

7. What steps his Department is taking to support veterans.

[Patricia Gibson]

When veterans and their families are compensated for the detrimental impact their service has had on their lives, that is unjustly classed as income when applying for means-tested benefits, rendering veterans and their families ineligible for welfare support under UK Government control, the most significant of which is pension credit. As a result, thousands of veterans miss out on almost £6,000 every year. Will the Minister pledge his support for the Royal British Legion’s Credit their Service campaign? And will he work with the Department for Work and Pensions and his other Cabinet colleagues to ensure that compensation awarded to veterans is disregarded when applying for means-tested benefits?

[Dr Murrison]

Of course the MOD works with the DWP on a range of issues. Compensation is set in the full knowledge of how it will be dealt with under the benefits system in the UK. By most measures, the armed forces compensation scheme and the war pension scheme are felt to be sound and appropriate for awarding significant amounts of money to those who have served our country and who, unfortunately, have been disadvantaged as a result.