Overview

• The £75 million scheme launched in December 2024 offers up to £70,000 to each LGBT veteran who suffered discrimination under the military’s gay ban from 1967 to 2000.
• Campaigners report that only 84 of an estimated 1,300 applicants have received compensation to date, triggering urgent calls for faster payouts.
• MPs from multiple parties pressed ministers in a July Westminster Hall debate to deliver redress swiftly for veterans now in poor health.
• Veterans Minister Al Carns described the ban era as a “truly dark era” and apologised for abuses including forced discharges and intrusive investigations.
• The Ministry of Defence will double its processing team, double independent panel sittings, and build an automated payment system to reduce delays.