Redundant Service personnel (and those remaining) must make sure they get their due

January 17, 2012

Posted by:Philippa Tuckman

The latest round of redundancies (2900 in the Army, 1000 in the RAF and 300 in the Navy) will bring even more unhappiness than the last, as those who wanted to take voluntary redundancy will have done so already. Everyone in the Services must be wondering what the future holds, and this will be especially true of those who are suffering from injuries and illnesses.

Now is the time to remind all those who fear for their future that if their career in or after Service has been cut short or made more difficult by illness they need to consider what sort of claim they may have – and make the call. If they don’t they could lose out, and so could their families.

Here are 5 important points to remember:

  1. It’s a myth that you can’t claim while you’re in service, whether or not the injury was negligently caused.
  2. There are time limits on claims against the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and to the civil courts, and the fact that you haven’t claimed because you were serving does not extend either. So get on with it.
  3. If an injury or a condition is caused or made worse by service, you can claim from the AFCS. The procedure is fairly easy to start. You are entitled, whether or you were injured by negligence. What’s important is that it is service attributable.
  4. If your injury was caused or made worse by negligence (bad equipment, for example, or failure to recognise and treat a medical condition), you may have a claim in the civil courts. The damages (compensation) will often be higher than what is available under the AFCS, though the process can take longer.
  5. There is no reason whatsoever why you should not claim both under the AFCS and from the civil courts. There is no disadvantage to doing both.

 

There is no harm in finding out now if you have a claim. If you’re made redundant it could help you to cope. If you stay in the Forces, it can ensure stability for the future. Delaying could deprive you of that opportunity, wherever you are in 10 years’ time.