M.O.D Pension Injustice

Terry Walker

Veterans' Terry Walker fury
8:47am Monday 30th July 2007

A WAR veterans' association has blasted the Government's treatment of Terry Walker's grieving family - and called for a full inquiry.
Shaun Rusling, of the Veterans and Families Benevolent Association, said he was "disgusted" with the Ministry of Defence's "despicable" attitude towards the late Gulf War veteran's parents.
The Press reported on Saturday how MoD bureaucrats had demanded that Terry's devastated father should pay back pension money which was paid into his account after his death. Terry, who was 48 when he died, was invalided out of the army in 1992, a year after serving in the Gulf War, his health in ruins.

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HEARTLESS bureaucrats have sent a "cruel" letter to the grieving family of the late Gulf War veteran Terry Walker demanding a refund of his last pension payment - after an administrative blunder.
When Mr Walker died following a failed heart transplant operation last month, his two children were left with nothing after both his war pension and army pension were stopped dead.
Now his devastated family, of Wheldrake, has been dealt yet another blow. His father has been asked to refund the Veterans Agency for money that was overpaid into Terry's account after his death.
Terry's father, Ted Walker, said: "They have asked me to send them a cheque for £243.88. I can't believe that they can be so heartless.
"It's so wrong that they have stopped the pension in the first place, but now to write to me asking for a refund because they made an administrative mistake is unbelievable.
"It's the final straw for us and my wife is absolutely distraught. It's so cruel."
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said he was unable to discuss individual cases, but apologised if any upset had been caused to the family.
He said: "Payment of War Disablement Pension is usually made one week in advance so that people are always fully up to date with their entitlement. "Unfortunately, when a war pensioner dies, this can sometimes lead to an overpayment.
"After an appropriate time, if there are financial matters to resolve, contact is made with the family explaining the position and, in the case of an overpayment, requesting payment from the estate. "Throughout, support and advice from our helpline service and a local welfare manager is always available."

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BLUNDERING Government officers have been forced to admit another mistake in the war pension scandal of former veteran Terry Walker. His bereaved parents, of Wheldrake, near York, have been sent £1,400 to help cover the costs of their son's funeral - five months ago.
The Veterans Agency initially told them it would not pay up until it had evidence from Terry's inquest to prove he had died of causes related to his service in the Gulf War. But today it admitted there was no reason to wait for the inquest, which is not due to take place for another year, and sent the funeral grant to Terry's father, Ted.
Ted said: "This is another victory for Terry and for all the other war veterans who are in the same situation. "After all these months of not admitting the real cause of Terry's death, they have done a U-turn and it paves the way for a lot of other veterans.
"They will be able to use Terry's case as an example and hopefully that will help them"
"That was always the aim - by fighting Terry's case, we were fighting the case of everybody."

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