Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committee

Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees Act 2023

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to make provision about veterans advisory and pensions committees; and for connected purposes.
Citation	2023 c. 48
Introduced by	Robin Millar MP (Commons) Mark Lancaster (Lords)
Territorial extent	England and Wales Scotland Northern Ireland
Dates
Royal assent	18 September 2023
Status: Current legislation
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees, formerly the War Pensions Committees, are regional committees established to support veterans and their families in the United Kingdom. Members are appointed by defence ministers but they work independently of the UK Ministry of Defence. ^[1]

History

At the start of the First World War, the activist and writer Sylvia Pankhurst persuaded Minnie Lansbury to become secretary of the League of Rights for Soldiers' and Sailors' Wives and Relatives, fighting for the rights of disabled servicemen and their families. ^{[2] [3]} In response to such pressures, the Asquith coalition ministry implemented the Naval and War Military Pensions Act 1915, thereby establishing War Pensions Committees in every county and large town in the UK in early 1916. ^{[4] [5]} A total of 155 committees were set up at that time. ^[6] Posters advertising the new committees were placed on billboards throughout the UK: they displayed Britannia standing in a white dress with a gold breastplate and helmet with a panel underneath inscribed with the statement "The War Pensions Committee at [name of place] is the state agency for looking after disabled men in this district". ^[7]

John Hodge, the Minister of Pensions, appointed August 1917, was shocked to come across the "Lost Files Room" with tens of thousands of incomplete claims. ^[8] Missing records were common and many disabled servicemen had to wait at least a year to hear about compensation. ^[9] A demonstration by disabled veterans in Hyde Park turned violent when police erected barricades in May 1919. ^[10] Following strong criticism of the officials administering the compensation payments from Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, the committees were given statutory backing as non-departmental public bodies in 1921. ^[9]

The role of the committees, throughout the 20th century, was to make recommendations to ministers as to the administration of compensation, to hear complaints from applicants and make representations on such matters to the minister. ^[6]

The committees continued to operate at local level, ^[11] until they were re-organised on a regional level in the early 21st century. ^[12] Their name was changed from the War Pensions Committees to the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees in December 2017. ^[13] Further provisions were made for regulation of their work under the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees Act 2023. ^[14] Committee members were typically appointed for three-year terms. ^[15]

References

1. "The Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees". Forces Pensions Society. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
2. Winslow, Barbara (2021-07-27). Sylvia Pankhurst: Sexual Politics and Political Activism. Verso Books. p. 126. ISBN   978-1-83976-163-8.
3. Shepherd, John (2002-09-19). George Lansbury: At the Heart of Old Labour. OUP Oxford. p. 353. ISBN   978-0-19-154205-3.
4. Cohen 2001, p. 21.
5. "War pensions committee recruiting". Manx Radio. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
6. "Ministry of Pensions and the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance: War Pensions Committees papers". National Archives. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
7. "Designer unknown. The War Pensions Committee". Swann Galleries. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
8. Cohen 2001, p. 23.
9. Cohen 2001, p. 24.
10. Cohen 2001, p. 25.
11. "No. 56430". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 31 December 2001. p. 21.
12. "Selection and Constitutional Review Committee" (PDF). Ashford Borough Council. 30 August 2006. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
13. "The War Pensions Committees (Amendment) Regulations 2017" (PDF). UK Parliament. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
14. "Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees Act". UK Parliament. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2025.
15. "Latest civil service and public affairs moves". Civil Service World. 11 March 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2025.

Sources

• Cohen, Deborah (2001). The War Come Home Disabled Veterans in Britain and Germany, 1914-1939. University of California Press. ISBN   978-0520220089.