Thursday 6 August 2009

Who Cares?


Justice for Wounded: only one in ten wounded soldiers gets annual care payment - Telegraph

Fewer than one in ten wounded soldiers awarded compensation is getting an annual payment from the Ministry of Defence to help them cope with the effects of their injuries.

The disclosure will add to pressure on ministers over the controversial Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, which is currently the subject of an urgent government review.

The AFCS has been in place since 2005, and ministers have repeatedly highlighted the provision it makes to for wounded service personnel to be given a life-long tax-free income.

However, the MoD's own figures show that barely 8.9 per cent of all wounded personnel who are deemed eligible for compensation were given so-called Guaranteed Income Payments.

MoD data shows that in 2008/09, there were 2,005 compensation awards made under the ACFS.

The scheme assesses injuries on a fixed tariff, with each case ranked from Level 1, the most severe, to Level 15, the mildest.

Injuries at Level 11 and above get both a lump sum and a lifelong guaranteed income payment.

Level 12 and below means victims get only a lump sum payment.

Of the cases approved last year, only 175 were considered to be Level 11 or above. They got lump sum payments of £13,750 and some form of lifetime income.

However, the remaining 1,830 awards in 2008/09 were at Level 12 or below.

The figures will intensify pressure on the MoD to scrap the entire tariff system of compensation payments and replace it with rules that make greater provision for long-term care.

The MoD says the tariff is set to concentrate money and support on the most serious injuries.

However, the tariff excludes some conditions that appear relatively severe from the GIP part of the compensation scheme.

Level 12 injuries include gunshot wounds to the body and mental health troubles lasting up to five years.

They also cover "controlled post head injury epilepsy" and some forms of partial blindness and deafness.

To add your support to the Telegraph Justice for wounded campaign please click here

These men and women are being maimed because of the Government’s involvement in wars that I certainly didn’t want, the least they could do is look after them when they come back damaged.

Sign the petition.


Angus

Angus Dei on all and sundry

Angus Dei-NHS-THE OTHER SIDE

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