The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is facing criticism for sending letters to army families threatening to deduct legal costs from their pay if they do not drop compensation claims over poor housing conditions. Documents obtained by The Guardian reveal that government lawyers have issued ultimatums to hundreds of military families seeking legal redress for squalid living quarters in service family accommodation (SFA).
The letters warn that unless claims are discontinued, the MoD will seek full legal costs, which could be recovered from the claimants' pay. This tactic has been used even in cases where the county court has already issued a default judgment in favour of the family due to the MoD failing to defend the claim. One letter, sent by a senior government lawyer, gave a claimant until 14 September 2022 to agree to set aside a default judgment or face the MoD's legal costs.
Shadow defence secretary John Healey described the approach as 'utterly unacceptable' and called on ministers to intervene. Former Tory armed forces minister Mark Francois urged urgent action to resolve the 'dreadful mess', while Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood, chair of the Commons defence select committee, highlighted the impact of poor accommodation on service personnel retention.
A whistleblower accused the MoD of seeking to 'bully' service personnel, noting a growing number of families are preparing legal action. In one case, a family obtained a high court writ and sent bailiffs to the MoD's Defence Infrastructure Organisation headquarters in Lichfield. A senior MoD official reportedly appealed to the bailiff to leave without seizing property, fearing it 'could go all over the news'.
Alfie Usher, a former paratrooper now running claims management company Claims Bible, said he had received 400 expressions of interest in the last fortnight, with cases involving black mould, asbestos, and heating failures. The MoD declined to comment on ongoing legal proceedings but stated the cases relate to rented property outside the UK.
