The Ministry of Defence has published its latest War Pension Scheme Statistical Bulletin, covering the year ending 31 March 2026. Although the War Pension Scheme closed to new injuries sustained after 5 April 2005, the latest figures show that thousands of veterans continue to make claims each year for injuries and illnesses attributable to pre-2005 military service.
The statistics also reveal that new claimants are waiting considerably longer for decisions than in previous years, with first claims now taking an average of 17 months to process.
Over 9,000 claims and appeals registered under the War Pension Scheme
During 2025/26, Veterans UK registered 9,101 claims and appeals under the War Pension Scheme. These claims included:
- first claims made by veterans who have not previously claimed for a service-related condition;
- second or subsequent claims, often where an accepted condition has deteriorated or an additional service-related condition has developed;
- claims made by war widows / widowers;
- supplementary allowance claims for additional financial support; and
The figures demonstrate that, despite the age of the scheme, there remains significant demand from veterans and dependants seeking compensation for service-related injury or illness.
Deterioration claims remain an important feature of the scheme
The statistics confirm that more than half of the disablement claims registered in the last year were second or subsequent claims.
Many veterans experience service-related conditions that worsen over time. Orthopaedic injuries, mental health injuries and other long-term conditions may become more disabling many years after leaving the Armed Forces. Where a condition has deteriorated, it may be possible to seek a reassessment of the level of disablement and an increase in pension, as long as the deterioration can be attributed to service.
The continued volume of these claims highlights that the effects of military service can continue long after discharge.
Claims are taking much longer
Perhaps the most striking statistic in this year’s bulletin is the time it takes for claims to be decided.
Veterans UK reports that first disablement claims cleared during 2025/26 took an average of 17 months from registration to clearance. This is a significant increase from the clearance time in previous years.
For many veterans, this represents a substantial wait before receiving a decision on whether they are entitled to compensation. Delays can be particularly difficult where a claimant is living with a disabling condition, has retired early because of ill health or is experiencing financial uncertainty.
The Ministry of Defence notes that changes to its case management system mean that care should be taken when comparing processing times with previous years. Nevertheless, the current figures demonstrate that War Pension claims remain a lengthy process and that claimants should be prepared for decisions to take many months rather than weeks.
What do the statistics tell us about the types of injuries being claimed?
One question many veterans may ask is which injuries are most commonly claimed under the War Pension Scheme.
The statistical bulletin does not provide a breakdown of new claims by injury or medical condition. It tells us how many claims have been registered but does not identify how many relate to musculoskeletal injuries, PTSD, hearing loss, respiratory disease or other specific conditions.
Instead, the bulletin contains information on existing pension recipients and includes separate tables for claims involving mental disorders and mesothelioma, reflecting the particular policy interest in those conditions.
While the absence of a detailed breakdown is disappointing, it does not alter the fact that the War Pension Scheme continues to compensate veterans for a broad range of service-related physical and psychological injuries.
The War Pension Scheme remains important
Although the scheme only applies to service before 6 April 2005, the latest statistics show that it continues to play an important role in compensating veterans and their families.
Thousands of new claims are still being made each year, and many existing recipients continue to seek reassessments as their conditions deteriorate over time.
For veterans considering making a claim, the statistics are also a reminder to act sooner rather than later. Given the current processing times, obtaining service records, medical evidence and appropriate advice at an early stage can help ensure that a claim is presented as fully as possible from the outset.
