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Far Eastern Prisoners of War (FEPOW) (except Gurkhas)
In recognition of the unique circumstances of their captivity,
the Government announced on 7th November 2000, that a single ex-gratia payment
of £10,000 was to be made to surviving members of British Groups who
were held prisoner by the Japanese during the Second World War.
The War Pensions Agency were at the time charged with administering
the payment. This now falls to the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency.
To date the FEPOW Team have made over 25,000 payments of £10,000.
The FEPOW Team has formed many partnerships working closely
with other branches of the MOD, the Imperial War Museum, the General Registrar's
Office and the International Red Cross in Geneva.
Eligibility to claim
There are six categories of person who are entitled to make a claim to the
ex-gratia payment. These are:
- a surviving former member of HM Armed Forces who was held
as a Japanese prisoner of war in the Far East during the second World War;
- a surviving former service personnel who received payments
under Article 16 of the 1951 Treaty of Peace with Japan in 1951 under the
auspices of the British Government. These were certain members of the then
colonial forces, Indian Army and Burmese Armed Forces;
- a surviving former member of the Colonial Forces who was
held as a Japanese prisoner of war, was British at the time of internment
and who can show that they lived in the UK for at least 20 years between
1 January 1945 and 7 November 2000.
- a surviving member of the Merchant Navy who was imprisoned
by the Japanese in the Far East during the Second World War. For the purposes
of this scheme, a member of the Merchant Navy is a person who has been
employed, or engaged as, or for service as, a mariner in a British ship:
- a surviving civilian who was British and interned by the
Japanese in the Far East during the Second World War and who can demonstrate
a close link to the United Kingdom. A close link to the UK is shown by
satisfying the new residency criteria, based on at least 20 years residence
in the UK between 1 January 1945 and 7 November 2000, or the criteria of
the UK’s 1950’s compensation scheme.
- the surviving widow or widower of a deceased person who
would otherwise have been entitled under category a), b), c) d) or e) above,
providing that they were still married at the time of death.
Claim Forms
WPA 0009C Claim for an Ex-Gratia payment for Ex-Far East Prisoners of War, Merchant Seamen imprisoned by the Japanese or Civilian Internees
WPA 0009W Claim for an Ex-Gratia payment for a SURVIVING SPOUSE of an Ex-Far East Prisoner of War, Merchant Seaman imprisoned by the Japanese or Civilian Internee
Links
Veterans Minister: £10,000
payments scheme extended to more civilians interned by Japan in Second
World War
Veterans Minister: Criteria for
the new 20-year residence criterion for the FEPOW Scheme.
Veterans Minister: Independent
report by David Watkins on how the use of inconsistent criteria had arisen
Veterans Minister: MOD’s
response to the Elias Court of Appeal Judgement
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