Ministers have confirmed an annual uprating of Armed Forces disablement and death benefits for legacy cases. The Naval, Military and Air Forces Etc. (Disablement and Death) Service Pensions (Amendment) Order 2026 was made by the Privy Council on 3 February 2026, laid before Parliament on 10 February 2026, and comes into force on 6 April 2026. The instrument applies across the United Kingdom.
The Order amends the 2006 Service Pensions framework, which governs compensation for disablement or death due to service before 6 April 2005. This is the War Pensions Scheme rather than the post‑2005 Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. The Ministry of Defence and Veterans UK publish consolidated versions of the principal Order and have made available the historical Royal Warrant (1920) and 1921 Orders cited in the scheme, assisting practitioners to track cross‑references. (gov.uk)
The core change is numerical: the Order substitutes new tables throughout Schedules 1 and 2 of the principal Order, uprating prescribed amounts for retired pay, disablement pensions, gratuities and allowances, and the corresponding survivors’ benefits. These substitutions refresh the “maximum amounts payable” and rate bands used by administrators when calculating weekly and annual awards under the War Pensions Scheme.
A specific headline adjustment is to the diffuse mesothelioma lump sum. Article 4 amends Schedule 1A, paragraph 5(1) of the 2006 Order to set the one‑off payment at £185,000, replacing the previous £140,000 figure. GOV.UK guidance for veterans had previously referred to a lump‑sum option of up to £140,000 under the War Pensions Scheme, so caseworkers should update standard letters and advice accordingly. (gov.uk)
Eligibility is unchanged. Awards relate to injuries, illness or death caused or aggravated by service before 6 April 2005. The scheme covers former service personnel and, where applicable, dependants. Alongside the main disablement pension, uprated amounts apply to supplementary provisions such as unemployability allowance, lowered standard of occupation allowance, comforts allowance, mobility supplement and age allowances, together with survivors’ pensions and children’s allowances calculated under the substituted tables.
Timing for implementation is straightforward. Awards already in payment will be recalculated from 6 April 2026 without a fresh claim. New decisions issued on or after that date will use the substituted tables. Backdating follows the standard rules under the 2006 Order; the commencement is prospective and administrators should ensure April 2026 payroll runs, notification templates and guidance notes reflect the revised figures.
Interaction with means‑tested support requires routine local authority action. Each spring the Department for Work and Pensions issues a Housing Benefit circular confirming how War Pension rates are to be treated for assessment purposes and the effective date used in HB systems. The A2/2025 circular for the previous cycle illustrates this annual process and included annexed War Pension rates for that year; authorities should apply the same approach once 2026/27 material is issued. (gov.uk)
The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) is unaffected by this Order. AFCS covers injuries and deaths from 6 April 2005 onwards and is amended by separate statutory instruments. For example, the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) (Amendment) Order 2025 took effect on 7 April 2025, underlining the separation between the two regimes and their distinct uprating mechanics. (statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk)
Access to underlying legal materials has improved in recent years. Following correspondence with parliamentary committees, the Ministry of Defence linked the 1920 Warrant and the 1921 (Officers) and (Warrant Officers) Orders from its legislation page so practitioners can verify historic definitions and entitlements referenced in the 2006 Order and subsequent amendments. (gov.uk)
No impact assessment accompanies the instrument; the explanatory material indicates no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors. For operational queries, the Ministry of Defence directs correspondence to afcompensation-policy@mod.gov.uk. Veterans UK is expected to publish updated rate charts ahead of April to support welfare officers, local authorities and advice agencies in updating systems and client communications. (gov.uk)