Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many claims have been made to the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme; and what steps he is taking to ensure all potential recipients are aware of the scheme before it closes in December 2026.

As of 30 June 2025, the LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme (FRS) had received 1,099 formal applications, of which none had been rejected.

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.

To date, 81 payments have been made, comprising:

• 73 Dismissed or Discharged (DD) payments of £50,000 each, totalling £3.6 million.
• 8 Impact Payments ranging from £1,000 to £20,000, totalling £72,000.

This means that 7.37% of claims have been successfully concluded.

The Scheme, introduced on 13 December 2024, with a budget of up to £75 million, aims to recognise the harm caused by the historic ban on LGBT personnel in the Armed Forces (1967–2000). Efforts are underway to accelerate processing times, including increasing resourcing, automating the payments system and increasing the frequency of Independent Panel sittings to two per week to ensure applications are reviewed and processed more swiftly.

Defence’s LGBT Restorative Action Team is working closely with external and internal Defence communications teams to deliver campaigns to drive awareness of, and encourage, eligible LGBT Veterans to claim under the FRS. Defence is also working with local councils, the NHS, LGBT and military charities, to better inform affected Veterans of the FRS and how to apply.

The LGBT Restorative Action Team also continues to engage with relevant Veterans networks, and customer facing teams, to ensure that eligible applicants of FRS receive the appropriate information, support, and guidance. To further support this effort, Defence has allocated £90,000 worth of grants to charities, including Fighting With Pride, to support Veterans with their FRS applications.

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