Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer to Question 97598 on War Pensions, what new processes Veterans UK are piloting to ensure war pension claims can be considered during the covid-19 outbreak.

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face medical assessments are not presently being undertaken. However, in order to allow claims to continue to be processed, War Pension customers across most of the UK are now sent a self-assessment form to complete themselves alongside a primary health care factual report form for their GP to complete. In cases where the customer resides in Northern Ireland, Veterans UK is piloting a process whereby medical assessments are carried out via telephone.

Furthermore, Veterans UK is undergoing a significant transformation programme to digitise its pension and compensation schemes. This includes the development of self-serve systems for claimants, such as apps which can be accessed through an individual's computer, and mobile devices and online claim forms for war pensions and new compensation claims.