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Thu, 27 Aug 2026

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 Military veterans told they owe thousands of pounds over clerical error

Hundreds of former UK service personnel have had their pensions cut after being overpaid.
Hundreds of retired military personnel have been told they owe thousands of pounds due to clerical errors in their pension calculations, with some facing debts as high as £26,438. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed that over 1,000 veterans are being pursued for debts, including Ray Lawton, a Royal Artillery veteran who was ordered to repay £8,000. His monthly military pension was cut from £550 to £365 after he received the letter. Lawton and other veterans have spoken out about their shock and anger at being asked to pay back large sums of money that they did not know they owed. They claim that the private company responsible for administering the pension scheme, Equiniti, should take responsibility for the errors and refund the amounts overpaid. The Forces Pension Society has said it is aware of many cases where veterans have been told they owe tens of thousands of pounds, with some facing debts as high as £100,000. The society is advising anyone who receives an overpayment letter to verify its authenticity and request more information from Equiniti. The MoD has stated that it is investigating the errors on a case-by-case basis and that those affected will be contacted individually. However, former Conservative defence secretary Penny Mordaunt has said that in many instances, the debt should be wiped. Veterans are calling for more clarity about how their debts have been calculated and for the private company responsible to take responsibility for the errors.