We demand that the Gurkhas receive equal pensions
The Parliament petitions site records 108,278 signatures for this petition, which closed on 6 February 2022. The Government responded on 19 August 2021. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 22 November 2021.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
We demand that the Gurkhas receive equal pensions
We are demanding that the government treats Gurkhas fairly and pays them the same pension as other British veterans of the same rank and service. Many Gurkhas joined the Queen’s Gurkha Army believing their pension would sustain them and their families but sadly this has not been the case.
Gurkhas served the crown and British yet many Gurkhas and their widows live in poverty in the UK and their relatives are forced into modern slavery in countries like Saudi Arabia. We shouldn't treat our heroes like this. So we are demanding all Gurkha veterans are paid an equal pension to other British veterans. That includes veterans from pre-1997.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 19 August 2021; the petitions site lists the Ministry of Defence as responsible. Its summary:
For most Gurkha veterans the Gurkha Pension Scheme provides a pension at least as good as, and in many cases better than, that given to their British counterparts with identical periods of service.
The opening 378 words of the 687-word response:
The Government highly values the service of all members of the Armed Forces, including Gurkhas who have a long and distinguished history of Service to the UK both here and overseas.
The Government view is that the Gurkha Pension Scheme (GPS) is a very fair scheme and we are committed to providing Gurkha veterans with a fair pension. Gurkha pensions are different, but these differences are objectively and reasonably justified and suited to the circumstances of the time. The legal basis for Gurkha pensions has been upheld by three Judicial Reviews since 2003, including a case that went to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
It is a principle of all public sector pensions policy that improvements to pension schemes are not made retrospective. Since 2007 Gurkhas have served on the same basis as the remainder of the British Army apart from specific conditions to maintain the Brigade of Gurkhas. All serving Gurkhas on, and those who retired after, 1 July 1997 were given the option to transfer to the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS). The 1 July 1997 date is significant because that is when Gurkhas ceased to be a Far East based force and became based in the UK.
For most Gurkha veterans the GPS, which closed in 2007, provides a pension at least as good as, and in many cases better than, that given to their British counterparts with identical periods of service. Under the GPS Gurkhas qualified for an immediate pension after 15 years’ service, typically in their early 30s, whereas most British personnel on the AFPS did not serve for the 22 years necessary to qualify for an immediate pension, and instead have a preserved pension payable at the age of 60, or age 65 for service after 2006. This means typically Gurkhas will have been receiving pension payments for over 25 years before most British soldiers of the same rank and length of service qualify for any payments under the AFPS.
The GPS differs from other pension schemes but provides a positive standard of living in Nepal and is objectively fair and justified, as upheld by three Judicial Reviews since 2003, including a case that went to the ECHR. The ECHR judgement, which contains further background information, is published here:
https://www.army.mod.uk/media/6211/european-court-ruling-gurkha-pensions.pdf
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 2,824, came from Aldershot.
105,933 of the signatures were from the UK and 2,345 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Aldershot | 2,824 |
| Ashford | 1,428 |
| Folkestone and Hythe | 1,208 |
| Reading West | 968 |
| Feltham and Heston | 927 |
| Maidstone and The Weald | 834 |
| Greenwich and Woolwich | 782 |
| Basingstoke | 763 |
| Erith and Thamesmead | 759 |
| Nuneaton | 753 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 23,469 |
| London | 13,535 |
| South West | 10,312 |
| North West | 9,160 |
| East of England | 8,740 |
| West Midlands | 7,477 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 7,292 |
| East Midlands | 5,869 |
| Scotland | 5,702 |
| Wales | 4,852 |
| North East | 4,165 |
| Northern Ireland | 2,122 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 22 November 2021. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/594155.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
a35aba6d3dfed07f… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.