Representing the challenges faced by those harmed by their military service
Why is this project important?
Hundreds of UK military personnel are harmed each year on duty. We represent the challenges they face when claiming the compensation and benefits they are entitled to
Since 1 January 2006, there have been 17,888 UK service personnel who sustained an injury, had an illness, or died whilst on operations1. Many more are injured on duty while not on operations.
Those injured since 6 April 2005 may be eligible for a payment through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS). Those harmed before 5 April 2005 may be eligible for an award under the War Pension Scheme (WPS). Such awards are processed by the Ministry of Defence department Defence Business Services - Veterans UK
Approximately 150,000 individuals have so far received payments through the AFCS or WPS schemes:
- Tens of thousands have had claims rejected
- A similar number have received awards lower than that to which they were entitled
Who we are
Our team is made up of veterans harmed by their service or the service of a loved one. We all have lived experience of the AFCS and/or war pension scheme including claims, appeals and complaints. We work with experts in fields such as the law, social work, data science and policy-making.
The Veteran Law Project is independent of any public body, charity, or university. It is run voluntarily and without funding
Areas of work
- Providing resources
- Analysing legal decisions
- Making recommendations to decision-makers, MPs, Lords and other organisations
- We do not provide 1-to-1 assistance with individual claims
How to assist us
- We welcome people getting in touch regarding research areas to undertake, including leads and offers to help.
- Nothing on this site constitutes legal advice. Please get in touch with a law firm for professional advice regarding any claim
1 The Ministry of Defence report, "Biannual UK armed forces and UK entitled civilians operational casualty and fatality statistics, 1 January 2006 to 31 March 2024, published 16 May 2024" states, "In the latest six-month period (1 October 2023 to 31 March 2024) there were 131 UK service personnel who sustained an injury, had an illness, or died whilst on operations
