Ex-Gratia Medical Payments reviews
Guidance for former locally employed staff who were injured in the course of their service.
Documents
Details
Overview
The UK government initiated the Ex-Gratia Medical Payments (EGMP) policy to provide support to former locally-employed staff in Afghanistan who were injured as a result of their employment with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) between 2001 and 2021. The EGMP scheme was closed to new applications in 2021.
The EGMP Review was initiated in June 2020 to enable reviews of payments under the EGMP.
The EGMP Review was closed to new applications on 23 July 2026. Those who have already applied will also no longer be able to provide further evidence on their applications.
All valid applications received before the scheme closed will be processed.
No new applications are being accepted.
This publication explains the eligibility criteria for the EGMP Review.
Background
Between 2001 and 2021, local staff in Afghanistan who worked with the UK government played an important part in our joint efforts towards the shared goal of a more secure, stable and prosperous Afghanistan.
Extremely brave people worked alongside our soldiers on patrol, and in some cases suffered profoundly life-changing injuries as a result of enemy action. The government committed to awarding appropriate payments for these people through the EGMP.
In 2020, the MOD initiated a process for reviewing the EGMP cases relating to individuals who wish to have their cases re-assessed. Its intent was to enable those whose condition has deteriorated beyond their original prognosis, or those who have developed a late-onset condition, to receive a fair full and final payment without prejudice.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the EGMP Review, the applicant must satisfy all of the following criteria:
- The injury must have occurred during MOD employment and have been recorded by the Department at the time;
AND
2. There must be sufficient evidence that the condition has deteriorated beyond what was assessed as the projected recovery at the time, or that a new condition has arisen as a result of the original injury;
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For EGMP Review applications received prior to 23 April 2026, these must have been reported to us within 3 years of formal diagnosis of the deterioration or new condition (as opposed to 3 years of the date of initial award payment for applications submitted on or after 23 April 2026). Consideration will also be given to cases where eligibility to the EGMP was previously considered but a payment was not awarded, where evidence supports this;
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For EGMP Review applications received after 23 April 2026 these must have been reported to us within 3 years of the initial EGMP award unless the condition could clearly not have been known to the individual within that timescale;
AND
3. The deterioration or new condition must be a significant permanent physical or mental impairment or disability, including any serious scarring or disfigurement.
These payments are not intended to provide compensation for those injuries where the individual is expected to make a complete recovery or where they may be left with some permanent or long-lasting impairment of a less serious nature, for example limited in either the degree of pain or loss of faculty.
Making a claim
The EGMP Review was closed to new applications on 23 July 2026. Claims received after 23 July 2026 will not be accepted.
Claims were required to be submitted before 23 July 2026 must have submitted a completed Ex-Gratia Medical Review Claim Form to DARR-Medical-Casework@mod.gov.uk, along with photocopies of two forms of identification: either a passport or a driving license, and a utility bill showing the claimant’s current address dated within the previous three months. Claims submitted without all required documents and/or after 23 July 2026 will be considered as invalid without a right to appeal.
Appealing the review decision
In the event you are not satisfied with the outcome of your application to the EGMP Review, you can appeal the decision within 28 days of being sent the outcome letter. You can appeal the review decision by submitting a completed EGMP Review Appeal form to DARR-Medical-Casework@mod.gov.uk. The appeal form will be published before substantive decisions are issued.
Eligibility to appeal
Individuals who did not submit a valid application before the closure of the scheme (23 July 2026) are not eligible to submit an appeal, as a substantive action was not taken.
Applicants who have submitted a valid claim and received an EGMP Review decision letter may submit one appeal against that decision, including where they have been found ineligible under any element of the eligibility criteria.
Applicants may submit one appeal in relation to their EGMP review application. The appeal must include all injuries that the applicant wishes to have reconsidered.
Separate appeals for individual injuries will not be accepted.
Receiving your decision
A decision on your EGMP application, either initially or following the appeal, will be communicated to you electronically from DARR-Medical-Casework@mod.gov.uk.
Receiving your payment
If a review payment is awarded to you, this will be on a full and final settlement basis without prejudice. You will be asked to sign your understanding of this before the payment can be made. You will also be asked to provide your bank details. Upon receipt of these, the payment will be made as soon as practically possible. If you accept the payment following the award at initial decision, you then have no right of appeal.
If you accept a payment for an injury that has been awarded at the initial decision stage, you will lose your right to appeal that injury. However, if you claimed other injuries that were either not awarded or were found not to meet the eligibility criteria, you may still submit an appeal in relation to those injuries.
Related information
- Afghanistan Locally Employed Staff Ex-Gratia Scheme
- Supporting UK locally employed staff in Afghanistan
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