Making the Benefits System Fit for Service: Improving Support for Veterans with Military Compensation (full report and executive summary available)

Abstract: After over a decade of significant conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, between 2001 and 2014, 21,756 Service men and women from the Armed Forces were medically discharged for physical and mental health reasons, with 840 sustaining serious or very serious physical injuries or illnesses2. Advances in medical technology allowed for unprecedented numbers of ill and disabled ex-Service personnel to survive and, with the correct support, live full and independent lives. There is an array of support services available to injured veterans through Government and charitable initiatives such as the Defence Recovery Capability pathway which ensure that injured veterans can access coordinated support. However, a crucial part of the financial support package for wounded, injured and sick veterans (WIS) comes from military compensation payments and, for some, the welfare benefits system.