PTSD compensation not enough, veterans say
Copenhagen Post
Christian Wenande
November 5, 2013
Roughly 500 million kroner has been set aside to compensate war veterans who have developed delayed-onset PTSD, but veterans' group calls it "a very low amount"
The government has set aside nearly 500 million kroner to compensate war veterans who have suffered from delayed-onset Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
A new agreement means that the pool of money will be set aside between 2013-2017 to compensate soldiers who have developed PTSD more than six months after their return from the front. Soldiers who reported their PTSD symptoms after six months had previously had their claims wrongfully rejected for years. The workers' compensation board, Arbejdsskadestyrelsen, had previously rejected the claims with the argument that it was simply following protocols established by the World Health Organisation protocol (WHO). WHO officials, however, said the organisations guidelines are not as rigid as the Danish interpretation implies and in June it was decided that those with delayed-onset PTSD would be eligible for compensation.
“We have a responsibility to support the soldiers who have taken good care of Denmark,” the defence minister, Nicolai Wammen (S), said in a press release. “So I am pleased that we have agreed that the veterans who have developed PTSD because of their service can get the support they deserve.”
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