Afcs 05 And War Pension Claims

[isitme]

:ugh:Having recently left the RAF and been unfortunate to have suffered from an RTA whilst on duty some years ago, followed by 20 years of medical treatment, I submitted a claim through the RBL for a War Pension. Whilst my injury is nothing in comparison to our current serving personnel serving in Afghanistan, the process for claims is the same.

As my original injury occured in 1989, I was aware that I needed to put in a claim for a War Pension. The claim process changed in 2005 to the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS).

So I duly submitted my claim through the Royal British Legion in April of this year. I quickly received a letter stating that as I had served after 2005 the claim would need to be reviewed by the AFCS first. I then received a letter from AFCS stating that the claim had been rejected as I was not eligible to compensation through this scheme owing to the injury occurring in 1989. The claim would now be sent to the War Pensions department. The AFCS office then misplaced the paperwork and faild to send it on to the War Pensions department. I found this out after waiting for 6 months and not receiving any further correspondence. Subsequently the AFCS have now forwarded the paperwork and War Pensions are treating it as a priority.

So to get to the point of the thread. Anyone who has been unfortunate enough to have suffered an injury whilst serving and who has submitted a claim may need to check that the AFCS department have not lost their paperwork, I am aware of another ex serviceman that has suffered the same problem with his claim.
Furthermore, why does this process have to be so difficult and protracted. Yet another example of bureaucratic nonsense desgned to delay claim and frustrate claiments. :ugh:

[diginagain]

The cynic in me would say that the long, protracted procedures are designed in the hope that the claimant either a. gives up, or b. expires.

Having gone down the WPA route some years ago, delay and obfuscation became such a norm that it was a surprise when it all got settled. I'd add that anyone in mil service would be well advised to get a copy of their medical records prior to stepping outside, by fair means or foul, as it isn't unknown for the process to hit a brick wall when the evidence can't be found 10 years down the line.

[Pontius Navigator]

The good news is that any pension, as opposed to a lump sum payment, is back dated to the date of the original claim. You get a pension if the assessment is greater than 20%.

A word of warning, when I applied for a reassessment the clock restarts from the date they send you the forms. You have a period of time, 3 months I think, in which to submit the forms. If you do not submit them in the stipulated period your claim fails. A fresh application will, IIRC, not be issued for some time, 12 months I think.

I was lucky, in a way. I didnt't submit the forms immediately but a month or so after I did, when I was examined by an impartial doctor, I was suffering from my back problem.

If you are to claim make a note of everything you could do before the injury and everything you cannot do afterwards. Do this as it is too easy to forget when you are in an interview.

[cornish-stormrider]

As pontius has said, get defined notes of what you are capable of on a good day and bad. get the wife there to tell the doc how much your injury affects her and the family (truthfully please)

in my case it results in: major grumpy bast4rd syndrome (sorry Pop). No sex, no gardening, exercise, eating, drinking, and anything other than pain drugs TENS machine and physio swim sessions

Good day I can work normal (ish)

CS

[Pontius Navigator]

Just to add, you have spent the last N years, especially if you are aircrew, lying to the medics that you eyesight and hearing are perfect and you are fully fit. You are a fully paid up member of the anti-hyperchondriac brigade. Now you need to convince the docs that you are damn near a wreck.

The longer you leave it between exit and application the more wriggle room th edocs have for saying it was a post-service problem.