I've recently had the opportunity to engage with local veterans and blue light personnel in my constituency of Bridlington & The Wolds - many of whom are former armed forces members. Through these conversations, it has become abundantly clear that there are critical areas where support needs to improve, particularly in the treatment of PTSD, injuries sustained in service, and the unique challenges faced by female veterans and blue light workers. I'm committed to addressing their concerns and ensure that they receive the care, recognition, and support they deserve. From compensation claims to specialised mental health support, I’ve raised questions in Parliament to get the answers and actions needed.
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I asked: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many veterans are awaiting compensation for PTSD-related claims; and what steps he is taking to expedite those claims.
and To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department plans to take to reduce the time taken for compensation processing for veterans with PTSD-related claims.
The Minister for Veterans provided the same response to both questions:
The information is not held in the format requested and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
However, it may be helpful to note that War Pension Scheme (WPS) and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) claims are not categorised by condition on receipt. It is not possible to determine if a claim received for a mental health condition will be accepted for compensation under either scheme until medical review of all evidence in the final stage of consideration and decision making.
Defence Statistics Health publish statistics on claims and awards made under the WPS and AFCS. The latest WPS publication presents statistics as at 31 March 2024 and can be found on the gov.uk website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/war-pension-recipients-index(opens in a new tab)
The latest AFCS publication presents statistics as at 31 March 2024 which was published on the gov.uk website on 18 July 2024:
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) aims to consider all claims under the WPS AFCS as efficiently and as quickly as possible so as not to cause undue delay and stress. Alongside Service evidence, it is often necessary to obtain medical records and case notes from the individual's civilian general practitioner and/or other medical providers. Awaiting the return of those records does take time and, regrettably, this is something MOD officials have no influence over.
The MOD's own working practices are regularly reviewed to positively impact claim processing times for both schemes' claimants. As part of ongoing modernisation, new automated processes are currently being implemented to reduce processing times, as well as a new training programme to enhance caseworker knowledge and skills to further improve confidence and processing of claims.
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I asked: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to support female veterans.
The Minister for Veterans responded:
This Government will always stand up for those who have served our country, and I am leading work across Government and with civil society to look at the best ways to ensure all veterans, including women veterans, get access to the support and opportunities they need and deserve.
Women are a crucial part of the Armed Forces community, both through the value of their service and their contribution to society as veterans. This year, we will set out our plans for all veterans in our updated Veterans’ Strategy. This updated strategy will include a specific female veterans section.
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I asked: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to support ex-blue light service personnel with complex post-traumatic stress disorder.
The Health and Social Care Minister replied:
National Health Service mental health services are available to support the mental health of ex blue light staff who have experienced trauma in their past or who might have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They can access evidence-based mental health treatment via their general practitioner or by self-referring to their local NHS Talking Therapies service, with details on how to do so available at the following link:
People with complex PTSD may be offered therapies used to treat it, such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy or eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing. They may also be offered treatment for other problems they may have, such as depression or alcohol addiction.
