Japanese Prisoner of War Special Payments

fredsnail

I'm asking this on behalf of my Grandfather.

In 1991 he received a lump sum of £10,000 from the government as a special payment that all Japanese Prisoners of War or their spouses received.

He now has to go into a residential home and he knows that for benefits this lump sum is excluded from his capital - but will this be taken into consideration or excluded from the initial assessment by social servicers for going into a residential home?

From what I understand his house is exxluded from his assets value for 12 weeks and if they include the £10,000 it will push him over the upper limit for the remaining assets.

Thanks in advance.

fs

Errata

I don't know the answer to this one, but it would be worth talking to your local Age Concern as they may know. I do know that my stepdad has to use his 'war pension' of £70pw towards paying his care home fees.
In the light of the governement now being aware it has a compact with serving and ex service men, it might be worth having a chat with the local MP/Briths Legion/Armed Services Welfare Dept.
If it turns out that his lump sum isn't exempt, then if he agrees perhaps you could start kicking up a hell of a fuss. Being a Jap POW wasn't exactly a walk in the park and I doubt there are many of these POW's still living to be robbed blind by bureaucracy.
HTH and good luck with this. My very best wishes to your grandad.

fredsnail

Many thanks for that - I think he'll have to use his war pension towards the costs but I also know that there were certain exemptions for the lump sum he received - just not sure how far the exemptions went.

I'll contact some of the people you suggested - Grandfather doesn't call me his Mrs Fix-it for nothing

fs

Edinburghlass_2

fredsnail I'm going to shift this thread into the UK Armed Forces board where you should find more links that might help.

Good luck with your quest and I hope your Grandfather is allowed to use this award for other than his costs, sometimes exceptions should be made.

swimmer_2

http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/index.cfm?asset_id=509145

Click on your region and contact details will show. Most regions have a welfare officer who could be just the help you're after. As so many veterans are in a similar position to your Grandfather they are probably mini experts on all the hassles, money issues etc.

Its a disgrace the way we treat our WW2 veterans, we don't deserve our freedoms as we don't look after the people who fought or them This country pays for foreign prisoners rather than deport them, keeps child murderers fed and watered, and spends billions on foreign wars, pc schemes, MPs with their snouts in the trough, the list is endless, waste on a massive scale- but when old war veterans need our help, its a case of 'sorry no money, you'll have to sell your home and hand over all your cash' :mad: :mad: :mad:

I hope you Grandfather gets settled into his new home OK and has many relaxed happy days ahead. I wish him all the very best!!:T :T :T :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer: :beer:

Here is a couple of websites that might be of interest Fredsnail and also for those that don't really know much about what Fredsnail Grandfather and many others went through;

http://www.fepow-community.org.uk/
http://www.far-eastern-heroes.org.uk/
http://thejavafepowclub42.org/

fredsnail

Many thanks for all the help I'll definately be contacting some of these people for advice.

fs

Errata

This is the MOD Veterans Agency website http://www.veterans-uk.com/index.html
It deals only with armed forces pensions and compensation. It has a free helpline and should have the information you need and answers to any further questions you have. Best wishes to you Mrs Fixit, I bet your grandad didn't bring you up to be feeble either - go for it !

fredsnail

Thanks for your help everyone - the payment is excluded from his assessment of his assets.

fs

Pete268

Hi,

Just read this thread - I went through the same with my late father who was a Far East Prisoner of War and received the FEPOW payment. Yes it should be exempt from the financial settlement.

As a War Pensioner myself now (Gulf War 1) I have found the British Legion in particular very helpful in navigating the minefield of entitlements to various things and what can or cannot be counted as income etc. The Veterans Welfare Service (formerly War Pensioners Welfare Service) are really good as well.

Pete

Errata

fredsnail wrote: »

Thanks for your help everyone - the payment is excluded from his assessment of his assets.

fs

I'm really pleased to hear that- good luck.

2cats1kid

Glad you got this sorted. My late father was an FEPOW as well, and it haunted him to the end of his days, so your grandfather deserves peace of mind at this stage of his life.