Tracing and claims activity has brought 11,201 previously unclaimed armed forces pensions into payment, with a total value of £29,446,443, according to an answer given in Parliament.
Ian Roome, the Liberal Democrat member for North Devon, asked the Secretary of State for Defence what progress his department had made on expanding communications to better reach those with unclaimed and deferred armed forces pensions.
Calvin Bailey, the Minister for Veterans and People, said: “The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has continued its approach to identifying and contacting individuals with unclaimed and deferred Armed Forces pensions.
“As part of an ongoing contractual requirement, regular tracing activity is undertaken for deferred pension members whose pensions have become payable but remain unclaimed. New cases are reviewed each month and, where updated contact details are identified, individuals are contacted and invited to claim their pension entitlement.
“These activities form part of the Department’s wider efforts to ensure members receive the pension benefits to which they are entitled. As a result of tracing and claims activity, 11,201 previously unclaimed Armed Forces pensions have been brought into payment, with a total value of £29,446,443.
“The MOD also continues to support the development of the Pensions Dashboard programme, which is intended to make it easier for individuals to identify pension entitlements they may have across multiple pension schemes.”
A service leaver with sufficient qualifying service earns a preserved pension that becomes payable at sixty or sixty-five, depending on the scheme. The figures give an average of around £2,630 for each pension brought into payment, and arrears are paid from the date the pension first became payable.
