Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2025 to Question 57700 on LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme, what progress his Department has made on ensuring eligible individuals receive compensation under the LGBT Veterans Independent Review’s financial recognition scheme by the target date.

Defence’s LGBT Restorative Action team have worked closely with external and internal Defence communications teams to deliver campaigns to drive awareness of, and encourage, eligible LGBT Veterans to claim under the Financial Recognition Scheme (FRS) since the scheme was announced. Defence continues to work with local councils, the NHS, LGBT and military charities, to better inform affected Veterans of the FRS and how to apply. Defence has also allocated £90,000 worth of grants to charities, including Fighting With Pride, to support Veterans with their FRS applications.

The LGBT Restorative Action team also continues to engage with relevant Veterans networks to ensure that eligible applicants of FRS receive the appropriate information, support, and guidance.

The Government encourages those affected by the Ban to visit gov.uk for further information, guidance, and support on how to make an application: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/veterans-of-the-lgbt-ban-financial-recognition-scheme

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.