Commentary on provisions of Act Section 15: War pensions committees and armed and reserve forces compensation schemes
War pensions committees are established by regulations made by the Secretary of State under section 25(1) of the Social Security Act 1989. The Secretary of State may, by regulations under section 25, give war pensions committees functions relating to war pensions and war pensioners. Those functions may include, for example, considering complaints made to them by persons receiving or claiming war pensions and, if they think fit, making representations about those complaints to the Secretary of State. "War pension" and "war pensioner" are defined in section 25(4) of the 1989 Act. The committees’ existing functions relate primarily to the war pensions scheme provided for in the Naval, Military and Air Forces Etc (Disablement and Death) Service Pensions Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/606). This scheme provides compensation for injury or death caused by service in the armed forces before 6 April 2005.
	Subsections (2),(3) and (5) of section 15 amend section 25 so that war pensions committees may also be given functions relating to benefits payable under armed and reserve forces compensation schemes established under the Armed Forces (Pensions and Compensation) Act 2004. This allows provision to be made, by regulations under section 25, to extend the functions of war pensions committees to include, for example, considering complaints made to them by persons receiving or claiming benefits under the scheme provided for in the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/517). This scheme provides compensation for injury or death caused by service in the armed forces on or after 6 April 2005. Section 15(4) amends section 25 by inserting a new subsection (3A) which allows the Secretary of State to provide, in regulations under that section, for the naming of war pensions committees.