Armed Forces Compensation Scheme - How do I apply to the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme?

Armed Forces Personnel and Veterans

A claim form must be completed. You can apply online or fill in a paper claim. You should claim no later than seven years after the injury or illness, unless you’re claiming for an illness that started later (sometimes known as a ‘late onset illness’).You can ask for a paper form by calling the Veterans UK helpline on:

• 0808 1914 218 (UK) or
• +44 1253 866 043 (Overseas)

The helpline will send you a form and a pre-paid envelope to return it.

You can get help with making a claim by contacting the Veterans UK helpline or Veterans Welfare Service. The welfare service can arrange an appointment to provide one to one help if needed.

Bereaved partner of serving Armed Forces Personnel

To claim as a bereaved partner, you will need to call Veterans UK to request a claim form.

You can call their helpline on:

• 0808 1914 218 (UK) or
• +44 1253 866 043 (Overseas)

You can also get a claim form if you phone or email the Veterans UK helpline to ask for a copy.

What documents will I need to apply to the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme?

If your claim is in relation to a specific incident or accident, you should provide the following documents or any papers you may have: 

• Accident/Incident Reports
• Hurt Certificates.

Change of circumstances

Awards under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme are intended to be full and final, taking into account the expected development of an injury or illness.

Under certain circumstances, previous decisions to award injury benefit can be changed if there have been further developments since the original decision was made. For instance, if you feel that your injury or illness has worsened or caused a further injury to develop, you can ask for your original decision to be reviewed.

For details of circumstances in which a review can be carried out and when a decision may be changed, contact Veterans UK.

You can also get further details from the Gov.UK information guide: Armed Forces Compensation: What you need to know