UK Veterans Must Repay Money After Pension Mistake
More than 1000 former soldiers in the UK got too much pension money by mistake.
Many people in the UK worked in the military. Now they get a pension every month.
But there was a mistake. More than 1000 people got too much money.
Now they get letters. The letters say they must pay the money back.
Ray Lawton is 70. He must pay back £8,000.
His pension is smaller now. It was £550 a month. Now it is £365.
"I haven't got £8,000 to pay out," he said.
The government says it will help people. It says it must get the money back.
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More Than 1000 UK Veterans Asked to Repay Pension Money
The Ministry of Defence says a mistake in the system means former service personnel were paid too much.
Hundreds of former members of the UK military have had their pensions cut after they received letters about money they must pay back. The letters came because of a mistake in the pension system.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) told the BBC that more than 1000 retired service personnel are being asked to repay debts. 335 veterans were paid £5.1m too much because National Insurance was calculated in the wrong way.
Ray Lawton, who is 70, was told in July that he owed £8,000 after six years of overpayments. A few days later, his monthly pension fell from £550 to £365. "I haven't got £8,000 to pay out," he said. He served 16 years in the Royal Artillery.
Barrie Goodwin, a former RAF member, called the pension company six years ago because his payment was bigger than he expected. He was told it was correct, but now he must return £32,188.
The MoD said it knows the errors "may cause uncertainty" and it is helping people. But it also said it must get the money back for taxpayers.
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UK Veterans Face Demands to Repay Millions After Pension Errors
The Ministry of Defence says more than 1000 retired service personnel are being pursued for debts caused by mistakes in pension calculations.
Hundreds of former members of the British military have had their pensions cut after receiving letters telling them to repay thousands of pounds because of a clerical error.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed to the BBC that more than 1000 retired service personnel are being pursued for debts. The majority, 335 veterans, were overpaid a total of £5.1m because National Insurance was calculated incorrectly. Of that money, £304,000 has been paid back. A third of the 335 have paid their debt in full and 52 have agreed a repayment plan. The MoD also confirmed errors linked to Pension Sharing Orders, Early Departure Payments and State Pension Age, and said each case is being investigated separately.
Ray Lawton, 70, who served 16 years in the Royal Artillery, was told in July that he owed £8,000 after six years of overpayments. Days later his monthly pension was cut from £550 to £365. "I haven't got £8,000 to pay out," he said. His letter came from Equiniti, the company that runs the scheme for the MoD.
An MoD spokesperson said errors "may cause uncertainty" and that veterans are being contacted and supported. Where payments were made in genuine error, the spokesperson added, the government has a responsibility to recover taxpayer funds "in a sensitive and proportionate way". Former defence secretary Penny Mordaunt said there was "a compelling case in many instances for the debt to be wiped".
Equiniti said it could not discuss individual cases but recognised the concern caused. Sopra Steria, which has run the scheme since 2023 and subcontracted the work to Equiniti, said the errors began more than a decade before it took over the contract. The Forces Pension Society advises veterans who receive a letter to check that it is genuine and to ask for more information.
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