War Pension deterioration claim
If the condition your War Pension was awarded for has got worse, you can ask Veterans UK to review the assessment at any time. A higher percentage means a higher weekly payment, because the War Pension rates are set in bands by degree of disablement. This page explains how a review works, what evidence supports it, and the two things people most often get caught out by.
Key takeaways
- You can ask for a review at any time; there is no window you have to wait for.
- The form is WPS0012, War Pension: Application for Review, and it comes with its own notes.
- An increase is normally paid from the date Veterans UK received your request, not from when the condition worsened.
- A review can raise, lower or leave the assessment unchanged, so it is a genuine decision to weigh.
- Deterioration purely because of age cannot be taken into account.
- A new and different condition is a separate claim, not a review.
When to ask for a review
You can ask Veterans UK to review your assessment whenever the accepted condition changes, and there is no set period you have to wait. In practice the trigger is usually a change you can evidence: a new diagnosis relating to the same condition, a course of treatment, a hospital admission, a change in mobility, or a GP or consultant putting something on record that was not there when the original assessment was made.
Interim assessments are looked at again at the end of their period anyway. A deterioration claim matters most where you hold a final assessment, or where the condition has moved faster than the interim period assumed. Our guide on whether a War Pension is for life explains the difference between final and interim assessments.
How to apply: form WPS0012
The application is made on form WPS0012, War Pension: Application for Review. It runs to fifteen pages and comes with notes explaining how to complete each part. If you cannot download or print it, the Veterans UK helpline on 0808 1914 218 will send a paper copy.
Send supporting information with the form rather than after it. The assessment is made on the evidence available, so a review supported by current medical records, consultant letters and a clear account of how the condition now affects daily life gives the assessor something to work with. A form that simply says the condition is worse leaves them relying on records that may be years old.
Full contact routes, including the overseas number and postal address, are on our War Pension contact page.
Why the date you claim matters
This is the point that costs people money. If your assessment is increased, the higher amount is normally paid from the date Veterans UK received your review request, not from the date the condition actually deteriorated. There is no general backdating to when things got worse.
The practical consequence is straightforward: if you believe your condition has worsened, submit the request promptly and gather the supporting evidence afterwards if you have to. Waiting until you have a complete evidence pack before sending anything can cost you months of the higher rate.
A review can go down as well as up
Asking for a review opens the assessment, and the outcome can be an increase, a decrease, or no change. This is not a one-way process where the worst case is being told no. In practice a reduction is uncommon where a condition has genuinely worsened, and final assessments for settled conditions are not routinely revisited, but it is an honest part of the picture and worth understanding before you apply.
If your condition has clearly deteriorated and you have the evidence, that risk is small. If you are applying speculatively without much having changed, it is worth thinking twice.
The age exclusion
Veterans UK cannot consider deterioration that is purely due to age. The scheme compensates for disablement caused by service, so the assessment has to separate the effect of the accepted condition from the ordinary effects of getting older.
In practice conditions often worsen through a mixture of both, and that is normal. What matters is that the evidence connects the deterioration to the accepted condition rather than presenting it as general decline. A consultant letter that explains why the service-related condition is driving the change is far more useful than one that records the change alone.
New conditions and disagreements are different routes
If you want to claim for a condition you have not claimed for before, that is a new claim for a further condition, not a review of an existing assessment. The two are handled separately, and using the wrong route slows things down. Our guide to claiming a War Pension covers the first-claim process.
If you disagree with the outcome of a decision, that is an appeal rather than a review. Appeals have their own process and time limits, and they are worth taking advice on. Veterans UK, and the veterans charities, can point you to free representation.
You must also tell Veterans UK straight away about any change in your circumstances, separately from any review, so that your payments stay correct.
Frequently asked questions
James Hartley
James Hartley spent 22 years in the British Army, including unit personnel administration and pensions and records duties, and now writes the scheme guides and scenario pages on this site. He is not a regulated financial adviser, so the content is general information rather than personal advice.
Sources: gov.uk · GAD factors · Veterans UK · Forces Pension Society · MoneyHelper.