{"id":20967,"date":"2026-08-28T04:38:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T04:38:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=20967"},"modified":"2026-08-28T04:38:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T04:38:10","slug":"military-veterans-told-they-owe-thousands-of-pounds-over-clerical-error","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=20967","title":{"rendered":"Military veterans told they owe thousands of pounds over clerical error"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 300px 160px; gap: 2px; width: 460px; background: #eee; padding: 2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u6574\u884c\u5bbd\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876674\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 90px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876676\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u5de6\u4fa7\u7ad6\u6392 -->\r\n  <div style=\"height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876672\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"height: 500px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876680\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u6469\u5929\u697c\uff08\u548c\u5de6\u4fa7\u5b8c\u5168\u5bf9\u9f50\uff09 -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row: 3\/5; height: 750px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876678\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e6\" data-zoneid=\"5876682\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\"><b class=\"ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3\">Hundreds of former members of the military have had their pensions slashed after receiving letters telling them to repay thousands of pounds because of a clerical error.<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">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 \u00a35.1m as a result of incorrect National Insurance calculations. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The Forces Pension Society said it is aware of a small number of veterans whose debts were wiped after raising a formal complaint.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Ray Lawton, 70, was told in July he owed \u00a38,000 following six years of overpayments. Days later, his monthly military pension was cut from \u00a3550 to \u00a3365.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;I haven&#8217;t got \u00a38,000 to pay out,&#8221; said Lawton, who served 16 years in the Royal Artillery. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;I&#8217;ve got a little bit put aside but nowhere near that much.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The Portsmouth-based veteran told the BBC: &#8220;I&#8217;ve trusted the army all my life even when I left and I trusted my pension would be right. Then this letter comes and it&#8217;s just blown it all out.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Lawton&#8217;s letter was sent from a company called Equiniti, which administers the pension scheme on behalf of the MoD.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">It said an error in its system meant he had been overpaid for years. <\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Lawton is one of many veterans from across the UK who contacted BBC Your Voice after receiving letters out of the blue seeking money they didn&#8217;t know they owed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The Forces Pension Society, a not-for-profit which supports military retirees, said it is aware of many overpayment cases running into the tens of thousands of pounds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">A small number of veterans have been told they owe six-figure sums.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The MoD confirmed errors relating to National Insurance adjustments, Pension Sharing Orders (PSO), Early Departure Payments (EDP) and State Pension Age (SPA). It says it is investigating issues on a case-by-case basis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">It added that of the 335 veterans affected by National Insurance errors, a third have paid off their debt in full and 52 have an agreed repayment plan in place. So far, of the \u00a35.1m, \u00a3304,000 has been paid back.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">Veterans said they want more clarity about the debt and how it has been calculated. Some have called for it to be wiped.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">The government said it has a responsibility to recover the funds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">An MoD spokesperson told the BBC that it recognises that errors to pension payments &#8220;may cause uncertainty&#8221;, adding that it is contacting veterans and &#8220;providing support for anyone who requires it&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;Where payments have been made in genuine error, we have a responsibility to recover taxpayer funds and will always seek to do so in a sensitive and proportionate way,&#8221; the spokesperson added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">However, former Conservative defence secretary Penny Mordaunt, said: &#8220;While public bodies have a duty to recoup such costs if it makes financial sense to do so, no such assessment has been made in these cases.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ssrcss-1q0x1qg-Paragraph e1jhz7w10\">&#8220;There is a compelling case in many instances for the debt to be wiped&#8221;.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \u603b\u5bb9\u5668\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u5bbd908px Grid\u7d27\u51d1\u5e03\u5c40 -->\r\n<div style=\"display: grid; 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