Injured soldier gets 'insulting' £57,000

[Marulus]

Injured soldier gets 'insulting' £57,000

By Aislinn Simpson

Last Updated: 2:25am GMT 02/11/2007

The family of the youngest British soldier to be injured in Iraq has angrily denounced his compensation payout of £57,000 as a "complete insult".

Relatives of Rifleman Jamie Cooper, who has been left in constant agony by a shrapnel blast, say the award was handed down by "faceless bureaucrats" who care little about his future.


He is the latest in a series of injured servicemen whose treatment by the Government has sparked outrage among politicians, support groups and military families. The cases have led to the establishment of a private fund, Help for Heroes.

Aged just 18, Rifleman Cooper became the youngest British soldier to be injured in Iraq when he was hit by shrapnel in Basra last November, during his first tour with the Green Jackets.

Suffering from extensive nerve damage to his leg, a broken pelvis and a shattered right hand, his heart stopped twice as medics fought to save him. He later developed the superbug MRSA after a series of operations in the UK.

This week, after a seven-month wait, he was told by the Ministry of Defence that his injuries are worth a tax-free lump sum of £57,000 compensation as well as a monthly income based on his starter's salary of £900 once he is discharged. His father Phillip, 49, said: "Jamie was just stunned and kept saying: 'It that it? Is that all I mean to them?'"

The MoD said: "The lump sum payment is one part of the overall compensation package that will be paid to Jamie Cooper. When he leaves service, he will receive a regular tax-free, index-linked payment. He will also have access to support and financial assistance from other Government departments."

The family plans to appeal against the compensation.

[source]

[Renwein]

Compared to the amount of money you can get as compensation for spilling hot coffee from McDonalds over yourself it does seem 'insulting'.

Anyway I thought it was quite widely known that the treatment of soldiers is pretty dismal (lack of hospitals etc.) and it sounds he actually got quite a lot of money compared to some others. Of course a top footballer wouldn't show up at his club for less than that amount per week though...

[Marulus]

Anyway, what did he expect to get? The Buckingham Palace?

[Elysium.]

They're pretty much encouraging people to get shot with payouts like that. Maybe, instead of being a girl who could've stayed to fight?

Insulting is right. Insulting for Britons who have to pay for hopeless soldiers like him.

[OneEnglishNorman]

Sounds like his future earning potential has been badly impaired.

[Big Bwana]

He knew what he was getting into......you takes your money and you takes your chances.

He got a lump sum and a monthly salary....what more does he want....?

The welfare state will look after him for the rest of his life so i cant see wht he has got to complain about.

[Kernunnos]

Originally Posted by Big Bwana

He knew what he was getting into......you takes your money and you takes your chances.

He got a lump sum and a monthly salary....what more does he want....?

The welfare state will look after him for the rest of his life so i cant see what he has got to complain about.

it is not clear if the money he receives is enough to live well or not enough to live minimally decently, at least for people who are not familiar with UK's level of average pay for a worker.

Also, that money can be a lot or nothing, it depends on what permanent damage his bod has received: living permanently as a disabled person can be extremely costly, if one has to pay for doctors and cures almost constantly.

If he instead can manage to live without resorting to paid nurses or any other special help, such sum could be well enough.

in sum, it doesn't appear so clear if the money will be much or not.

If he will never be self-sufficient again, it would be not,as anybody living with very old or disabled persons know well.

[bombadillo]

Originally Posted by OneEnglishNorman

Sounds like his future earning potential has been badly impaired.

It's no joke. Meanwhile, that a$$-kissing bastard Blair, who got Britain into the invasion of Iraq so as to curry personal favor with Bush, has taken on a 500,000 pound-a-year part-time directorship with Morgan Stanley.

57,000 pounds is a pittance for a debilitating injury like this.