PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(13 November 2024)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of disregarding military compensation payments when calculating pension credit eligibility and awards.

Asked by:
Steve Darling (Liberal Democrat)

The first £10 of any War Pension payment or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) award made due to injury or disablement is disregarded in Pension Credit. Income is calculated on a weekly basis, so the disregard is £10 per week.

Four additions to the War Disablement Pension are completely disregarded: Constant Attendance Allowance; Mobility Supplement; Severe Disablement Occupational Allowance; and dependency increases for anyone other than the applicant or her / his partner.

War Pensions and AFCS awards are a qualifying income for the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit, which is available to those who reached State Pension age before April 2016.

Armed Forces Independence Payments are fully disregarded in Pension Credit and can also allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount.

In this respect, compensation payments made to veterans are treated more favourably than others who have received comparable compensation payments.

Answered by:
()

1 January 1970