We attach the link for our nuclear test veterans who have not yet applied for a War Pension. The BNTVA is working hard for multiple veterans who have come to us to represent and advocate for them in their War Pension Tribunals.

Gaining a War Pension is a major step towards individual recognition of service at the nuclear tests, and we are representing nuclear test veterans at their appeals. We would like to see all British nuclear test veterans awarded a War Pension as part of recognition of their service.

How to apply for a War Pension.

The links (which can be copied and pasted) for the War Pension forms is below.

You should give as much information or evidence that you can to support your claim. Even so, there are certain pieces of information the government will need to know to process an accurate claim. The AFCS/WPS001 form provides extra guidance notes on the type of information needed.

For example, the assessors will need to know certain facts about the injury or illness that you are claiming for, such as:

• The total area that a wound or injury covers (including internal disease such as cancers).
• Whether it affects only one side of your body (or both).
• The date that the injury occurred or when you first noticed symptoms of the illness.

They will also gather information about any incident or exposure that you feel caused the injury or illness. This may include questions about:

• What were you were doing when the incident occurred?
• Did the injury occur during a journey? If so, please give the details and reason for the journey.
• Did the incident happen while you were participating in a sporting activity? If so:
• Were you representing your unit or regiment?
• Was it during an organised Physical Training (PT) session?
• Was it in your own time?
• Why do you feel that it was your Service that caused the injury?

Note: Providing copies of any supporting documentation including service records https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records (e.g. reports from your Medical Officer, accident reports) will help them deal with your claim more quickly.  The link to access your service records is attached below.

Please note that BOTH forms (4-page Nuclear Test Priority Claim Form and the 22-page War Pensions' Form) need to be completed by the claimant to apply for the pension. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/war-pension-scheme-wps

Currently, there are delays with War Pension applications, and the BNTVA is waiting for a reply from the Office of Veterans' Affairs concerning the unexplained hold ups.

How to retrieve information to apply for a War Pension.

It is a good idea to be prepared by submitting a Subject Access Request at the outset of your claim by contacting ALL health authority/Clinical Commissioning Groups where you have received treatment or outpatients' appointments, as well as a request to your primary-care GP practice for your records. If you are online, the email address of your local health authority is generally under a quick google search for medical records at your particular health authority. 

Specific information will only be released to the subject of the application unless another individual has written permission from the claimant for the documents to be released.

Please make sure you tick all boxes to receive as much information as possible regarding scans, x-rays and any procedure or outcome.

The BNTVA can help you with your application or appeal, subject to the belief that your injury is as a result of military service, otherwise known as a military-attributable injury.

Who will see your claim?

Medical advisors (doctors) consider the medical aspects of War Pension claims and appeals. Lay officers make the final decisions on claims. Lay officers take advice from the medical advisors based on legislation and policy, or act on certificates provided by medical advisors.

Radiation film badges.

The BNTVA has recently acquired specialist information concerning the specific distribution of radiation film badges to British nuclear test veterans. Not possessing a film badge at a nuclear test or clean-up operation is proven to be common, and should have no detrimental bearing on any War Pension claim. The MoD are working on a non-scientific approach of likelihoods and assumptions, which is erroneous and the flaws in this can be proven with little effort on a case by case basis.

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

If you believe that you suffer from PTSD as a result of service by witnessing an atomic bomb or radiation incident, or by partaking in radiation clean-ups, then, in the first instance, please see your GP.

PTSD, despite being labelled as a mental condition, is NOT seen as a stigma in present society. The BNTVA has heard from high profile GPs and specialists who believe that the majority of British nuclear test veterans suffer with aspects of PTSD.

Did you know that PTSD can aggravate or cause physical conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes?  The link to Brian's story below shows that sometimes this link can be proven, culminating in the award of a War Pension History of PTSD and Trauma Diagnoses - Shell shock to the DSM (traumadissociation.com) .

There are mixed views about PTSD and nuclear test veterans by test veterans' themselves. Some nuclear test veterans are very open about their experience of PTSD, whilst others may not suffer from PTSD. Each individual's experience and perception is unique, and the BNTVA is not saying by any means that all nuclear test veterans suffer from PTSD.

However, there are clear stories and relayed experiences of PTSD from some nuclear test veterans, particularly of veterans who witnessed an atomic or hydrogen bomb blast. PTSD has come under differing labels over the years, from shell shock, irritable heart, psychic trauma to post traumatic neurosis as explained in the Trauma Dissociation link below.

On examining past War Pension claims by British nuclear test veterans, our Curator, Wesley, has come across some successful War Pension applications submitted in the 1980s based on psychic neurosis, so PTSD is a recognised condition for an award for nuclear test veterans. The chart (courtesy of PTSD Support | Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1122) shows symptoms of PTSD. You are not expected to experience every symptom, but an overlap of symptoms from each category.

Next steps.

If you would like to talk to the BNTVA in confidence about any of the points raised, then please contact via the website, info@bntva.com or 0208 144 3080. If you are unable to print War Pension forms, then we can send you a copy to complete or help you complete them if that is what you require.

Brian's story of PTSD influencing his Type 2 diabetes.

https://weareadvocate.org.uk/Brians-story.html

Link to war pension forms (4 pages and 22 pages)

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/war-pension-scheme-wps

https://www.gov.uk/get-copy-military-service-records/apply-for-someone-elses-records

http://traumadissociation.com/ptsd/history-of-post-traumatic-stress-disorder.html