FY
This LS award is not a substitute for pay or pension.
You say yourself "it would be nice to award the medal to everyone", I presume you mean the "everyone" who does the LS time criteria in the services? Expense, we are just talking qualifying for those retired here, I proposed earlier that retired personel could qualify but be left to purchase the medal, if cost is an insurmountable problem for HMG.
OAP