The Naval, Military and Air Forces Etc. (Disablement and Death) Service Pensions Order 2006

Entitlement where a claim is made in respect of a disablement, or death occurs, more than 7 years after the termination of service U.K.

41.—(1) Except where paragraph (2) applies, where, after the expiration of the period of 7 years beginning with the termination of the service of a member of the armed forces, a claim is made in respect of a disablement of that member, or in respect of the death of that member (being a death occurring after the expiration of the said period), such disablement or death, as the case may be, shall be accepted as due to service for the purpose of this Order provided it is certified that—

(a) the disablement is due to an injury which—

(i) is attributable to service before 6th April 2005, or

(ii) existed before or arose during such service and has been and remains aggravated thereby; or

(b) the death was due to or substantially hastened by

(i) an injury which was attributable to service, or

(ii) the aggravation by service of an injury which existed before or arose during service.

(2) Where a person is entitled to benefit under the 2005 Order in respect of an injury or death, that injury or death shall not be accepted as due to service for the purposes of this Order.

(3) A disablement or death shall be certified in accordance with paragraph (1) if it is shown that the conditions set out in this article and applicable thereto are fulfilled.

(4) The condition set out in paragraph (1)(a)(ii), namely, that the injury on which the claim is based remains aggravated by service before 6th April 2005 shall not be treated as fulfilled unless the injury remains so aggravated at the time when the claim is made, but this paragraph shall be without prejudice, in a case where an award is made, to the subsequent operation of article 2(5) in relation to that condition.

(5) Where, upon reliable evidence, a reasonable doubt exists whether the conditions set out in paragraph (1) are fulfilled, the benefit of that reasonable doubt shall be given to the claimant.

(6) Where there is no note in contemporary official records of a material fact on which the claim is based, other reliable corroborative evidence of that fact may be accepted.