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Legion Statements

Disregard of War Pensions when claiming benefits
Gulf War Illnesses Campaign
The Legion and the War in Iraq

Disregard of War Pensions when claiming benefits

The Legion has long maintained that the system of disregarding War Disablement and War Widows’ Pensions in assessing Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit is unfair – subjecting veterans and widows to a “postcode lottery”. It believes the current local authority discretionary system, which only requires councils to disregard £10 of war veterans’ and widows' pensions when means testing for benefits, should be replaced by statutory central government funding of a total or 100% disregard.

The present system means that war pensioners and widows with similar financial needs and living in neighbouring areas can have a difference in income of up of £125 per week, depending on how much of their war pension income their local authority chooses to disregard. It also means that ex-Service people are being denied benefits that they - like the rest of the community - have paid for through the tax system, simply because they have also earned compensation for disability or illness caused by Military Service.

After 8 years of campaigning by the Legion, the number of local authorities in England and Wales that still do not disregard 100% of war veterans’ and/or widows’ pensions has reduced from 163 out of 410 to around 2 out of 410. This means residents of these areas continue to be treated differently to neighbouring war pensioners - and for the majority there is still the threat of a change in policy at any time. The Legion intends to continue to campaign on this issue at local level. At national level we are seeking a legislative change to ensure that all local authorities disregard 100% of war pension income for the purposes of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

Gulf War Illnesses Campaign

The Legion continues to press for further research, compensation and support for Gulf War 1990/91 veterans who continue to experience health problems caused by the conflict. We also continue to call to recommend improvements in procedures for dealing with similar post-conflict situations. Repeated requests for such an independent public inquiry have so far been refused by the Prime Minister. It is now over 15 years since British Forces were first deployed to the Gulf and mistakes and delays made in the years immediately following the conflict have led to a lack of confidence in the MoD, both amongst both the ex-Service community and serving members of the Forces.

In January 2002, the Gulf War Group - established by the Legion - attended the US Congressional Sub Committee hearing examining the status of international co-operation in conducting research into Gulf War related illnesses in the UK and USA. Members of the Group also visited the US in 2006 to examine the progress of the US research programme. Progress is being made but as yet there is still no clear explanation to the range and severity of illnesses being experienced by Gulf War Veterans. In 2006, the UK Vaccines Interaction Research Programme was completed. This research examined the possible health effects of the medical countermeasures used during the Gulf War. It was concluded that the range of vaccinations and nerve agent pre-treatments, when used in isolation, and in the correct doses, would not cause ill health effects.

Now that the research into medical countermeasures is complete, there is no scientific research being conducted into the causes of Gulf War Illnesses in the UK. This is despite the fact that the Medical Research Council (MRC) have concluded that Gulf War Veterans are more likely to suffer from a range of illnesses and symptoms, and to be more severely affected by them, than other veterans of the same age and rank.

The Legion is adamant that it will not let this matter slip away from attention without further progress toward a significant research programme, compensation and support for veterans with Gulf War related illnesses.

The Legion and war in Iraq

Although, it is primarily concerned with the provision of welfare support to ex-Service people and their dependants, we are also ready to assist the families of Service personnel deployed during operations overseas (such as in Iraq).

Our strong local networks and comprehensive support and caseworker structure means we are well placed to catch people who are in need of additional support. This additional support is particularly important for Reservists and their families who may not have direct access to the support available to Regular units in Armed Forces garrisons.

The Legion's resources include practical, emotional and financial assistance for families and dependants; including care and support for those who may return injured as a result of conflict.

The Legion, and especially its members, believes that war is not pleasant or desirable, but it stands ready to help those affected by it.