Although the Forces Pension Society is a membership organisation, we have always sought to act on behalf of the whole Armed Forces community and are proud to be the referral partner to whom all Armed Forces pension enquiries from veterans are channelled via the Veterans’ Gateway.
This work is not funded by our Members but by a grant from the Office of Veterans Affairs, and we have fielded over 7,600 enquiries to date. They are not complex like the type of questions we get from our Members; each takes an average of 15 minutes to answer. Some of these queries are simply seeking facts – ‘how do I claim my pension?’ or ‘I am living abroad, will I still be able to claim my pension?’ – but, for others, our work can make a more material difference.
Having identified a possible entitlement, we contact the veteran three months after providing him or her with the information in order to find out how they got on with their application for a forecast or pension claim. Very few veterans provide us with information about the outcome but here are a few of the most recent results passed to us:
Kerry, who left the Armed Forces in 1985, has just received a pension of about £2.5K and a tax-free lump sum of about £7.5K.
Len, who left the Armed Forces in 1990, has just received a pension of £8K and a tax-free lump sum of about £24K.
Alex, who left the Armed Forces in 1986, has received a pension of about £3.5K and a tax free-lump sum of about £10.5K.
Steve, who left the Armed Forces in 1990, has received a pension of £5.5K and a tax-free lump sum of about £16.5K.
Paul, who left the Armed Forces in 1987, has just received a pension of about £5K, a tax-free lump sum of about £15K and a year’s back pension.
We often say that these are not life changing amounts, but this is what one of our Veterans said:
I received a preserved pension of £450 a month plus the lump sum of nearly £16,000, and back pension. I have been able to get a new car (badly needed) better accommodation and furniture and plenty of toys for the grandchildren. The fog that was swirling around my head is gradually lifting, and things are looking up thanks to you.
So, perhaps for some, they do make a big difference – and it’s money they did not know they were entitled to.
