Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure LGBTQ+ veterans eligible for the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme are aware of their right to claim.

As of 9 June 2025, 44 Veterans have received a financial recognition through the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme (FRS). We have been prioritising payment to the elderly and those with serious health conditions to ensure they receive support as quickly as possible, with the first payments issued as planned within 15 weeks of the scheme going live to these prioritised groups. Some cases are more complex and require additional time due to the unique and individual circumstances involved. We envisage the scheme speeding up once the most complex cases are delt with.

Payments made by the FRS are not compensation payments and do not seek to compensate for any pecuniary losses or attempt to place personnel in a financial position they could have been in, had the ban not existed.

Since the Scheme was launched in December 2024, Defence’s LGBT Restorative Action Team have worked closely with external and internal Defence communications teams to deliver campaigns to drive awareness of, and encourage, eligible LGBT Veterans to make a claim. Defence continues to work with local councils, the NHS, LGBT and military charities, to better inform affected Veterans of the FRS and how to apply. Defence has also allocated £90,000 worth of grants to charities, including Fighting With Pride, to support Veterans with their FRS applications.

The LGBT Restorative Action team also continues to engage with relevant Veterans networks to ensure that eligible applicants to the FRS receive the appropriate information, support, and guidance. The Government encourages those affected by the Ban to visit the following website on gov.uk for further information, guidance, and support on how to make an application: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/veterans-of-the-lgbt-ban-financial-recognition-scheme

It is not possible for the LGBT FRS to estimate the number of applicants who may pass away before their application is decided. However, the scheme has processes in place to ensure that the award can delivered (to eligible next-of-kin) if a Veteran passes away after they have submitted their application. Additionally, the scheme prioritises applicants who are terminally ill or over 80.