Army accused of spying on wounded heroes so they do not get a pay out
Figures found by the Daily Star Sunday revealed that as many as 40,000 veteran soldiers have applied for compensation — only to be rejected by stingy defence chiefs
Army bosses have been accused of running a “dirty tricks” campaign to stop wounded veterans getting a payout. Defence chiefs have rejected more than 40,000 demands for compensation since 2005.
They were made by troops and veterans claiming they were wounded in combat or during military training. More than 1,300 claims for cash were rejected last year alone; they were deemed to be false or involve an injury obtained outside of military service.
It comes after the Ministry of Defence hired private detectives to investigate compo claims. Figures obtained by the Daily Star Sunday show that private detectives have been used to spy on at least 500 troops.
MoD lawyers have also started prosecuting troops who they believe have lied over compensation claims. But many soldiers argue the rejected claims show the military is trying to restrict payments to injured troops.
Colonel Phil Ingram, a former military intelligence officer, said: “What the MoD is doing amounts to running a ‘dirty tricks’ campaign.” He said: “The use of private investigators is yet another step in what is a campaign of doing everything to deny veterans any support.
“The MoD seems to put more effort into catching the very very few veterans who try to defraud the system than they do to support those who need real help.” An MOD spokesman said: “All compensation claims are carefully considered on the basis of legal liability, and we will review cases of suspected fraud to ensure integrity of public spending.”
Veterans are already well looked after by the government thanks to the £12,000 annual payment provided by government. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) helps to provide for military veterans who have served in the Armed Forces through its pension scheme.
The War Pension Scheme is able to give a maximum total of £12,262 to those who have been in the army; although this is subject to various factors. The biggest issue about achieving the benefit offered by the DWP is that the discount only applies to those who served in the Armed Forces and were injured or contracted an illness during their time.
To add to this, the injury, condition or illness must have taken place before April 6, 2005. This benefit not only applies to the Army, but also the Navy, the Royal Air Force, the coastguard and the nursing service.
To receive the maximum amount of the benefit, however, the claimant must undergo a series of tests to determine how much they need the payment. This score is decided by a medical advisor, can work out the level of “disablement” the claimant is at, and can inform the DWP on how much to give them.
Both physical and mental health conditions are covered by the scheme. However, those with Noise-Induced Sensorineural Hearing Loss, or people with a disablement less than 20% will not eligible for ongoing payments or a lump sum.
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