The MP for Bracknell is among a group of politicians seeking justice for veterans who have been injured in the line of duty.
Veterans are able to make compensation claims for illness or injury caused by their service through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS).
A new survey, run by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Veterans, has found that more than three-quarters (76.4%) of veterans and personnel would rate their experience claiming compensation for illness or injury caused by service as poor, or very poor – compared to just 6.4% who rate it good, or very good.
James Sunderland, the Conservative MP for Bracknell, was among a cross party group of MPs that launched the anonymous survey which has gathered more than 1,000 responses.
It investigated the experiences UK veterans and personnel have with claiming compensation for an illness or injury (caused by service) through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and/or War Pensions.
The schemes are run by Veterans UK, which is controlled by the Ministry of Defence and is in the unique position of both assessing and awarding claims – with no independent verification.
The survey found that 83.4% of veterans would rate the support they experienced from Veterans UK as poor, or very poor, whilst 84.5% would rate the consideration given to their mental and physical health during the process as poor, or very poor – compared to 5.9% and 5.7% who would rate these as good, or very good, respectively.
Common complaints included the sheer length of the process; the way Veterans UK ignored or mishandled medical advice and evidence; and the adversarial and unsympathetic nature of Veterans UK staff when handling claims.
More than one veteran said the process drove them to consider, or attempt suicide, with another saying they felt the process was ‘set up to cause deliberate harm to veterans’.
The group of MPs are now calling on the Ministry of Defence to review the results of the survey, and launch an independent inquiry into the compensation claiming process.
According to the 2021 Census, there are 4,606 veterans living in Wokingham Borough.
Mr Sunderland is a veteran himself, having served tours in Iraq, Bosnia, Africa and the Falklands.
The survey was also launched by Richard Foord, a fellow veteran and the Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Honiton, who recently visited the Wokingham area, Stephanie Peacock, the Labour MP for Barnsley East, and Owen Thompson, the SNP MP for Midlothian.
It ran from November 1, 2022, to February 1, 2023.
Both Mr Sunderland and Mr Foord attended the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst.
