Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has considered the potential merits of extending the period for additional claims on the War Pension Scheme to six months.

There are no plans to change the time limits associated with claims under the War Pension Scheme to six months. It may be helpful to explain that this time limit does not prevent a claim for additional benefits being made after three months. If a claim for additional benefits is made after this time limit, the additional payments are made from the date of that claim. Whereas, if additional benefits are claimed within the time limit, payments will be backdated to the date of the original claim.

The current process ensures timely support for claimants, preserves administrative efficiency, and safeguards the fairness and sustainability of the scheme. Claimants are made aware of this timeframe, but exceptions to it exist, such as if the claimant was unable to make a claim due to exceptional circumstances, or if new evidence comes to light that was not previously available.