Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of requiring the (a) Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and (b) War Pensions to (i) recognise and (ii) compensate veterans with diagnosed chronic pain.

The Ministry of Defence has assessed that both the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and the War Pension Scheme (WPS) already provide compensation for pain and suffering as part of a holistic assessment of service-attributable injury or illness.

Under both schemes, chronic pain is not normally treated as a standalone condition. Instead, it is generally considered an expected consequence of a primary injury and is reflected within the overall award.

Where there is a distinct and separately diagnosable chronic pain condition, such as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, this may be considered on its own merits on a case-by-case basis

The Department keeps the operation of both schemes under review. The Independent Medical Expert Group (IMEG) is currently considering evidence and stakeholder concerns on how chronic pain is reflected within existing arrangements. No final conclusions have yet been reached.