Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many claims have been made under the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme; how many of them were settled by 31 May; and what steps have been taken if any, to process claims more rapidly.

The LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme (FRS) launched in December of last year, and as of 2 June 2025, the Scheme has received 1,054 applications, and 39claims have been settled. .

The first payments were made within 16 weeks of the Scheme opening and payments are continuing to be made. The Independent Panel and Appeals Board Members were both recruited on 13 May, and the Independent Panel had their first sitting on 21 May.

We are mindful of the need for timeliness, although it is a complex process, and the Scheme needs to be delivered effectively and correctly. The Scheme continues to make progress with applications, with process capacity expected to increase in the coming months. The FRS is continually looking for opportunities to automate processes where possible, to streamline processing and to work as efficiently as possible processing applications.