Asked by: Luke Murphy (Labour - Basingstoke)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support veterans who were advised to claim Personal Independence Payment instead of Armed Forces Independence Payment.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Veterans are able to access the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS), which provides compensation for injury or illness caused or made worse by Service on or after 6 April 2005. For serious injuries and illness, the AFCS provides a tax-free index-linked income stream known as the Guaranteed Income Payment (GIP). The Armed Forces Independence Payment (AFIP) is an additional allowance which provides financial support for eligible service personnel and veterans who have an AFCS GIP. It is an alternative to PIP (and other disability benefits), based on separate eligibility criteria, but paid at the same rate as the combined enhanced daily living and mobility components. The eligibility criteria for AFIP is not due to change.
If a veteran is advised to claim PIP rather than AFIP, it is most likely due to the fact that they would not be eligible for AFIP. If the long-term condition or disability is not service-related or if the GIP is below 50% of the veteran's salary, then PIP would be considered rather than AFIP.