Veteran repaid thousands after benefits error - but how many more are missing out?
A benefits error that left a North Devon veteran out of pocket has sparked calls for a review of how War Pensions are assessed under Universal Credit
Questions have been raised over whether veterans across North Devon could be missing out on vital financial support after a former Royal Marine was underpaid by nearly £3,000 due to an error by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
North Devon veteran Stephen Boden, who served in Northern Ireland, Kosovo and Afghanistan, was left under financial strain after his War Pension was wrongly treated as income when his Universal Credit was assessed.
Payments made under the War Pension Scheme should be disregarded under Universal Credit rules, but the mistake meant Mr Boden did not receive the full support he was entitled to.
The issue was only resolved after intervention from North Devon MP Ian Roome, who took up the case with DWP officials. Mr Boden was later awarded £2,731.71 in backdated payments.
Describing the experience, Mr Boden said it had been an “incredibly stressful situation”, adding that he had been left with very little money after covering essential costs such as rent.
He also said there appeared to be confusion within the system about how War Pensions should be treated, even when the issue was explained.
Mr Boden said: “It quickly became clear that some people handling the claim did not understand what a War Pension was, or why it had been awarded.
“I thought everything had already been made clear to the DWP years ago and that my military pensions were properly understood.”
The case has now prompted wider concerns about whether other veterans could be affected.
Mr Roome, who is also a member of the Defence Committee, has raised the issue in Parliament, questioning whether more former service personnel may be missing out on support.
He said: “If it can happen to one veteran, how many more could be affected, and more worrying still, how many may not even realise.”
He added that veterans should not be forced to “battle bureaucracy” to access payments intended to recognise their service.
Concerns about veterans not receiving the financial support they are entitled to have also been echoed by Major General Neil Marshall, Chief Executive of the Forces Pension Society.
The organisation has previously warned about the scale of unclaimed Armed Forces pensions with around 15,000 currently unclaimed, and approximately 2,000 going uncollected each year.