Not Every Injury in the Armed Forces Qualifies for Compensation — Here’s Why

I often receive enquiries from serving personnel or veterans who believe they are entitled to compensation under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) because they were injured while serving.

One of the more difficult conversations I sometimes have is explaining that not every injury in the Armed Forces qualifies for compensation under the scheme.

Being injured while serving in the Armed Forces does not automatically mean the injury was caused by service.

Under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, the injury must be caused by service, or service must have materially worsened a pre-existing condition. In other words, service must be the predominant cause of the injury. It is not enough that the injury simply occurred while someone happened to be serving.

This distinction is often misunderstood.

For example, I occasionally hear from individuals who have been injured after slipping in accommodation, coming off a bicycle on the camp, or having an accident while moving around the base. In those circumstances the injury may have occurred during service, but service itself may not be the cause.

In legal terms, service must be causative rather than merely incidental.

That does not necessarily mean someone has no remedy at all. In some circumstances there may still be a civil claim, depending on how the accident occurred. But that is a separate process from an Armed Forces Compensation Scheme claim, which is specifically designed to compensate injuries caused by military service.

How AFCS Awards Work

Another point that is sometimes misunderstood is how compensation is calculated under the scheme.

The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme operates on a tariff system, meaning that injuries are placed into tariff levels which determine the amount of compensation payable.

Most successful claims result in a lump-sum tariff award.

More serious injuries may also qualify for an additional payment known as a Guaranteed Income Payment (GIP).

This generally applies where the injury falls within tariff levels 1–11, which represent the more serious injuries recognised under the scheme.

The Guaranteed Income Payment is designed to provide long-term financial support reflecting the impact of the injury on future earning capacity.

Importantly, the GIP does not begin until the individual leaves the Armed Forces. In many cases the injuries involved are serious enough to lead to medical discharge, but the payment itself is linked to the tariff level of the injury and begins once service ends.

A Final Thought

The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme exists to recognise injuries that arise because of the risks and duties of military service.

But it was never intended to compensate every injury that happens during a military career.

Understanding that distinction can often save a great deal of time and frustration.

(c) G Evatt 16.03.2026