[A-List] UK military: fiscal crisis & pensions scandal

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

Sick troops left with no medical pensions
IAN BRUCE, Defence Correspondent
The Herald, May 25 2004

THE Ministry of Defence has admitted it has discharged more than 200 sick or
injured soldiers without them receiving medical pensions.

Paul Keetch, Liberal Democrat defence spokesman, said the figures, revealed
in an answer to a written parliamentary question, show the soldiers left
under administrative regulations rather than being declared medically unfit.

The difference in pension and other benefits saves the MoD up to
£18,000-a-man per year and is seen by military insiders as a method of
cost-cutting at a time when the military budget is under pressure from Iraq
war costs and arms' programme over-spending.

"For the first time, the MoD has admitted sacking soldiers who were sick,"
said Mr Keetch. "There must be a very good reason for denying a sick soldier
a medical discharge. If a soldier sustains an injury as a result of service,
we surely have a duty to look after him or her.

"Many soldiers feel hard done by. The MoD must now be able to show these
soldiers were dismissed for good reasons, or else provide them with a proper
medical pension."

Most of the 200-plus soldiers classified as P7 or "medically downgraded" and
effectively sacked since 1996 have gone under section 9.414 of Queen's
regulations. This explicitly forbids being used to shed men or women who
have become medically unfit. A spokesman for the MoD said those who left
under Queen's regulations 9.414 will have been discharged due to
disciplinary failings.