Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate has he made of the number of veterans eligible for compensation under the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme.

As of 9 June 2025, the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme (FRS) had distributed £2.2 million in payments. We have been prioritising payment to the elderly and those with serious health conditions to ensure they receive support as quickly as possible, with the first payments issued as planned within 15 weeks of the scheme going live to these prioritised groups. Some cases are more complex and require additional time due to the unique and individual circumstances involved.

Payments made by the FRS are not compensation payments and do not seek to compensate for any pecuniary losses or attempt to place personnel in a financial position they could have been in, had the ban not existed.

The Ministry of Defence is unable to confirm the number of eligible applicants for the FRS at this time; however, application data is being is being monitored and assessed now that the Scheme is live.