THE ORIGIN AND HISTORY

OF

WAR PENSIONS APPEAL TRIBUNALS

PENSIONS APPEAL TRIBUNAL

2821

PREFACE

This information of the functions and procedure of the Pensions Appeal Tribunals refers only to those Tribunals for England and Wales and which are under the jurisdiction of the Lord Chancellor.

Statutory Pensions Appeal Tribunals operate in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but as my thirty-four years of association with the Tribunals has been confined solely to those for England and Wales I am not competent to describe the procedure of those for Scotland and Northern Ireland. The facts related herein are not intended to convey information regarding pensions administration under the Acts, Royal Warrants, etc. This is the concern of the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance which is independent of the Pensions Appeal Tribunals.

HARRY J. KNAPMAN.

Prior to the Great War 1914-1918 each of the Service departments - The Admiralty and the War Cffice - had its own pensions organisation. The disabled soldier was under the care of the Chelsea Commissioners and the naval man under the control of the Board of Admiralty - the Royal Flying Corps had not been instituted as a separate force. Disablement pensions were seldom awarded except for wounds and for tropical and other diseases which were the direct result of service in unhealthy climates. It was considered that the professional sailor or soldier should not be pensioned for a disease which he would have been equally liable to contract as a civilian, still less for aggravation of an existing disability by conditions which he accepted by voluntary enlishment.

On the outbreak of war in August 1914 the fighting forces not only increased enormously in numbers, but underwent a fundamental alteration in composition. So urgent was the need for recruits and the response so great that it was impossible to adhere to the high physical standard required in peace time, and time did not allow of the same rigorous medical examination to be carried out. Thus, it happened that many men who were not physically and mentally fit to undergo the rigours of service life were enlisted into the forces. As a result a number broke down during the initial training and were invalided without being awarded a pension. The Ministers responsible for Navy and Army pensions were far too busy with the conduct of the war to give time to the investigation and removal of pension grievances and it soon became apparent that the existing machinery in the service departments was inadequate to deal with the large number of wounded and sick who were being discharged from the forces. As a remedy the Government decided to set up a separate Department under a responsible Minister to deal with the whole administration of pensions for disabilities arising out of the war. On the 22nd December, 1916 the "Ministry of Pensions Bill" received Royal Assent. From that date all claims to disability pensions by Officers, Nurses and other ranks, and by their widows and dependants were dealt with by the Ministry of Pensions provided the service in respect of which the claim was made took place between the 2nd August, 1914 and as later determined the 30th September, 1921, the official termination of the war. spite of this new arrangement there were still many instances

In