Meon Valley MP Flick Drummond has received assurance from the government that armed forces veterans will have their pension records digitised following concerns important documents have been lost.
Speaking in parliament this week, Flick asked for an update on progress and was told by the minister, Johnny Mercer, that a £25 million contract to digitise all the services that Veterans UK provides was now in place and he admitted some veterans had received a poor experience.
Flick was chair of the South East Veterans Advisory and Pension Committee and was concerned about shelves of paper files at the Headquarters of Veterans UK in Lancashire.
Files were lost and, on one occasion, a van carrying veterans’ documents was stolen and the files never recovered which meant they all had to be replaced causing further delay. This has led to poor service for veterans wanting questions about their pensions and other information.
“I am very pleased this contract is now signed and the process of leaving behind rooms full of paper is ongoing at Veterans UK,” said Flick.
“The people using this service have served their country often risking their lives so it’s important investment is made to ensure they can receive the information they need quickly and not fear it has been misplaced or lost.”
