Former Conservative veterans minister Johnny Mercer is taking legal action against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) over hearing loss he claims was caused during his time in the armed forces. The 44-year-old former MP, who now wears a hearing aid, said his claim is 'progressing nicely' after being refused compensation through the MoD's Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS).
Mr Mercer has lodged a common law compensation bid via a claims management firm that reportedly secures average payouts of £71,000 for hearing loss. He shared an update on X alongside a photograph of himself undergoing an audiometry exam, a specialist hearing test. The former army captain, who served three tours in Afghanistan, previously sought compensation through the AFCS but was, in his words, told to 'get stuffed'.
The MoD admitted responsibility for veterans' hearing loss last year, and thousands of similar claims have been lodged. In the year to April 2024, the MoD received more than 14,000 new hearing loss compensation claims, a 184% increase on the previous year. The department paid out approximately £135.5 million in service claims during that period, the vast majority linked to hearing loss.
Mr Mercer was the MP for Plymouth Moor View from 2015 until losing his seat to Labour's Fred Thomas last year. He served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and later Minister for Veterans' Affairs, campaigning on behalf of military veterans. He resigned as under-secretary in 2021 in protest at the Overseas Operations Bill, which he felt did not adequately protect soldiers deployed in Northern Ireland.
Alfie Usher, founder of ClaimsBible.com and an Army veteran, said his site had helped refer 1,000 veterans for hearing loss claims. 'Asking people to repeat themselves, constant ringing in your ear, being told you have the TV too loud – these are all common symptoms for soldiers,' he said.
