War Pensions
Did you know that if you get a war pension amounting to 100% the total payment per week is £154, yes £154. That means if you lost, your legs, arms, became, deaf, dumb and blind your weekly pension would be £154!
The Government has brought out a new compensation scheme for services personel who have been seriously injured in recent campaigns, so the injured can pay for care for their injuries but it would be fair to write that if those personel need help what about the personel who have been injured before the new payment schemes? Well they have to get by on £154.00!
The US service personal get a basic £580 for a 100% service injury pension and that is also graded to add for more injuries which means they can get a 100% + say 30% for further injuries. the UK system does not have this additional injuries policy. Which means that is you are getting a 100% and worsen, they will not take into account further problems.
We are also told that we will get priority treatment for our injuries both mental and physical , well the Government is not keeping up with their promise. We know of 1000,s of ex services who are not getting help for PTSD , we know other service personal who have mentioned priority treatment for ex services only to be told that the doctor has never heard of such a scheme.
A leading Psychiatrist in Liverpool informed me that he does not have the staff to treat ex services for PTSD, so if Liverpool does not have the staff to treat Ex services with PTSD how many more cities across the UK do not have the PTSD treatment schemes?
The Government needs to address the problems of Ex services homelessness (40% of Londons Homeless people are Ex Services) and the amount of Ex services in prisons (8600) who are suffering from mental health problems caused by their time in the services.
In order to go to one of the 4 Ex services Mental health restbite units you have to be a War Pensioner and be able to get funding from a charity.
We know of ex services whom have hanged themselves and drank themselves to death or ended up in prison because of the lack of treatment for PTSD.
The US recognise that PTSD comes out after personal leave the services and the provide a “Knock on the door policy” at their veterans hospitals!
We think it is about time that the UK Government recognised that we do not have a knock on the door policy or any Veterans hospitals for the long term treatment of PTSD.
In Liverpool there are a number of treatment centres for Alcoholics and drug addicts where they can go and knock on the door and get 6 months in patient treatment and one to one counselling. After the treatment they can get a year in assisted / after care accommodation, We are not stating that they should not get that treatment or care, it would be fair to write no such service applies to Veterans! We ex services have the greatest numbers of homeless and in prison and are promised the best and quickest treatment!