An Order in Council has updated compensation paid under the pre‑2005 War Pension Scheme. The Naval, Military and Air Forces Etc. (Disablement and Death) Service Pensions (Amendment) Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/101) was approved at Buckingham Palace on 3 February 2026, laid before Parliament on 10 February, and takes effect from 6 April 2026 across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It amends the 2006 Service Pensions Order (S.I. 2006/606). ([]())
The legislation replaces multiple rate tables within Schedules 1 and 2 of the principal Order, revising prescribed amounts for retired pay, disablement pensions, gratuities for minor injuries, and death‑related allowances. The Explanatory Note confirms the purpose is to increase these prescribed rates rather than alter eligibility rules. ([]())
For clarity on scope, the War Pension Scheme provides compensation for disablement or death due to service before 6 April 2005; injuries or deaths on or after that date fall under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. This amendment therefore affects awards linked to pre‑2005 service only. Official Ministry of Defence guidance on GOV.UK sets out this boundary. (gov.uk)
A specific change is made to Schedule 1A of the principal Order to raise the diffuse mesothelioma lump sum. The maximum moves from £140,000 to £185,000, aligning support for veterans whose illness is attributable to pre‑2005 service. The previous £140,000 cap is recorded in longstanding MoD guidance; the new £185,000 figure is set by the 2026 Order. (gov.uk)
For claimants and pension administrators, the operative date matters. Payments issued on or after Monday 6 April 2026 should reflect the updated tables, and new determinations made from that date will use the revised amounts. The instrument does not change causation tests, assessment bands or evidential requirements; it updates monetary values only. ([]())
Survivors’ benefits under the War Pension Scheme, including War Widow(er)’s Pension, are within the framework affected by the uprating where those amounts are prescribed by the principal Order’s tables. Eligibility criteria for survivors remain those set out in MoD guidance and are unchanged by this amendment. (gov.uk)
The Explanatory Note to the Order states that a full impact assessment has not been produced because no significant impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen. Queries about the Service Pensions Orders continue to be handled by the Ministry of Defence and Veterans UK. ([]())
Practitioners should distinguish this measure from the Department for Work and Pensions’ Diffuse Mesothelioma Payment Scheme, which increased payment levels in November 2025 and is subject to separate regulations and parliamentary scrutiny. Those DWP changes do not apply to the War Pension Scheme. (statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk)
Action for caseworkers is straightforward: review live War Pension Scheme awards and pending determinations for payment cycles falling on or after 6 April 2026, ensure system tables reflect the amended schedules, and brief clients that eligibility rules are unchanged while prescribed amounts have increased. Where appropriate, direct new claims and enquiries through Veterans UK’s established channels on GOV.UK. (gov.uk)