Cotton hails milestone as petition to protect injured veterans' compensation passes 10,000

Antony Cotton has been among the most vocal public backers of a petition calling for compensation paid to injured veterans to be excluded from Universal Credit calculations

The campaign has now passed 10,000 signatures, meaning the Government must respond.

It was created by Lucy Tattingham, the wife of a former paratrooper, and calls for injury or income compensation paid to ex-service personnel to be disregarded indefinitely in Universal Credit claims.

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The petition argues that some permanently injured serving and former personnel lose Universal Credit after 12 months because Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments and War Pensions are treated as capital. 

This can leave families spending money meant to cover long-term injury, illness or loss of independence just to get by.

Mr Cotton, who was made an MBE in 2022 for his services to the Army, personnel and veterans, said it was "deeply offensive" for compensation awarded for a life-changing injury"to be treated as savings, and said families were being "expected to live off that award".

In a video posted on X, the Coronation Street star said "Our Armed Forces deserve better" and argued that the policy was discriminatory.

He said payments linked to Grenfell, for example, are protected and do not affect benefit claims, while Armed Forces compensation is not ring-fenced in the same way.

James Tattingham, a former paratrooper who served in Afghanistan and developed complex PTSD is now unable to work, leading his wife Lucy to become his full-time carer.

The couple set aside his Armed Forces compensation for future care, only for it later to count against their Universal Credit claim.

Personal injury and illness compensation is disregarded for Universal Credit for the first 12 months after it is received. After that, only payments placed in a trust or used to buy an annuity are left out of the calculation. 

Claimants must also usually have no more than £16,000 in money, savings and investments to qualify.

The petition argues that this leaves some injured veterans and their families spending compensation intended for long-term injury, illness or loss of independence simply to stay afloat.