James Tattingham, 39, from Ringwood, and his wife Lucy Tattingham have launched a petition calling for changes to Universal Credit rules so that compensation paid to veterans for service-related injuries or loss of income is not treated as savings when assessing benefit entitlement.
James served in Afghanistan in 2008 and has since been diagnosed with complex PTSD following his service, which left him unable to work.
James and Lucy Tattingham (Image: Submitted)
His wife Lucy, who previously worked as a café manager, became his full-time carer.
The couple married after just six months together and have now been married 18 years.
Lucy said: “Within six months of us meeting, we actually got married. Everyone thought we were mad at the time, but we’ve actually been married 18 years now.”
James and Lucy Tattingham (Image: Submitted)
In 2023, James was awarded compensation through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
The couple say they set the money aside to fund future care and treatment.
However, under current rules, savings over £6,000 can reduce Universal Credit payments, while savings over £16,000 can make claimants ineligible.
Lucy said she had to stop working to care for her husband, adding that family circumstances, including caring responsibilities for their autistic son, had made sustained employment difficult.
She said: “We’ve been claiming new personal credit because I’m coming to care for him, I had to leave my job, I’ve dipped in and out of work over the years.
“My oldest son is autistic and has a learning disability, so nothing’s really been sustainable paid employment wise for myself because I’ve never been able to find the right work life balance with my personal life.”
The couple say they were unaware that the compensation could affect their benefits.
Lucy said the decision came after a routine review last year.
In 2024, they were told they were no longer entitled to Universal Credit after the Department for Work and Pensions classed the compensation as capital.
They say this has left them around £1,700 a month worse off.
James and Lucy Tattingham (Image: Submitted)
James and Lucy Tattingham (Image: Submitted)
She added: “We were claiming universal credit.
“They did a routine review on us last year and that’s when it came about in January this year, they made the decision that we were no longer entitled because the Armed Forces Compensation is only disregarded for 12 months.
The couple say they are now being told they must repay around £14,000 in Universal Credit.
Lucy said: “We’ve got no income and we now owe about £14,000 as well.
“We’re having to eat into his compensation, which obviously defeats and undermines its purpose entirely, to live off.
“And they want us to pay them money, even though it’s actually their official error that we owe money.
She added: “It’s an injustice happening to us.”
The petition, started by Lucy, calls for changes to the system, arguing that some ex-service personnel who are permanently injured lose entitlement after 12 months because Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments and war pensions are treated as capital.
It argues this forces families to use money intended for long-term care, injury, and loss of independence simply to survive.
DWP has been approach for a comment.