Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military pensions are unclaimed; and what steps his Department is taking to increase the claimant rate of those pensions.

The estimated number of unclaimed pensions as of March 2024, the end of the last financial year, was 14,797.

Tables on membership can be found at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66977e29a3c2a28abb50d0d1/Armed_Forces_Pension_Scheme_annual_accounts_2023_to_2024.pdf

Once a pension reaches 60 working days past the point of being due for payment, proactive attempts are made to trace the member and, on receiving a current address, an explanatory letter and application form is sent advising that a pension may be due. If returned, the deferred pension is put into payment.

Where there is information advising that the individual is deceased, the MOD engages to confirm whether there are any dependants and then process as normal.

In addition, in an aim to increase the claimant rate of those pensions, on receipt of their HM Armed Forces Veteran Card, individuals are advised to review the Deferred Pension Booklet on the gov.uk website to check their possible entitlement and submit a claim if appropriate.