Ministry of Defence Matrix Claims FAQ

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With the recent news that the MoD has extended the deadline for Military Deafness Matrix applications, our Industrial Disease team has provided answers to some commonly-asked questions about this compensation pathway.

What is the time process for claims through the Matrix?

Now that the Matrix Agreement has been confirmed and the Judgement from the Abbott v Ministry of Defence case has been passed down, we give a guidance that these claims should now take anywhere between eighteen months to two years to settle.

This is just a guidance and cases may take longer if, for example, there are more complex issues to deal with, such as those who have suffered from loss of employment or prospects due to hearing loss suffered, etc.

Bringing a claim through the Matrix Agreement means that the claim will not be subject to issues that are normally seen in Civil Litigation Proceedings. These could include the issue of limitation, which has prevented claims previously from being brought, as the MOD will not dispute a claim being brought, even if it is brought more than three years following noticing hearing loss symptoms.

The MOD has a large number of claims being brought at the moment, and a large delay is seen in receiving records from the MOD and their internal processing times, which can take months and sometimes a year to receive.

We do aim to provide a monthly update to our clients to inform them of them of any progress and updates there may be in their claim.

Matrix Claims FAQ

How much compensation am I going to receive?

During the course of the process, we will obtain medical evidence in support of your claim. This will set out whether the expert is of the opinion that your hearing loss has been caused by noise damage, and the extent of your hearing loss. We have many heads of loss to consider. For example:

General Damages – Award for the injury/injuries themselves.

These damages are assessed in accordance with the Judicial College Guidance which, ranges as follows:

Severe tinnitus and NIHL – £39,250 to £60,160
Moderate tinnitus and NIHL or moderate to severe tinnitus or NIHL alone – £19,680 to £39,250
Mild tinnitus with some NIHL – £16,640 – £19,680
Mild tinnitus alone or mild NIHL alone – Around £15,480
Slight or occasional tinnitus with slight NIHL – £9,720 – 16,640
Slight NIHL without tinnitus or slight tinnitus without NIHL – Up to £9,260

Special Damages – These are awards for all other losses as a result of your injury, which can include:

Past and future loss of earnings
Cost of aiding and equipment
Impact on the labour market (Smith v Manchester Award)

Unfortunately, we are not able to give any rough estimates of what you will be entitled to until we receive your medical report. This may indicate the need to look at any past and future loss of earning, any impact on the labour market which may require a further report. In the event you have not suffered any loss of earning or impact on the labour market, we will look at evaluating your claim from your medical report.

What if I have been exposed to noise through other employers that are not the MoD?

If your noise exposure is due to working for other employers as well as the MoD, the MoD will not apply a discount. I.e. they will work out the compensation owed to you for your hearing loss in full as if you had always been employed by the MOD.

Is there a deadline to bring my claim through the Matrix Agreement?

The MOD has recently extended the deadline for claims being brought through the Matrix Agreement until the 31^st of January 2027.

If you are still thinking about whether to bring a claim or not, we advise that it would be better to bring your claim sooner rather than later, which avoids any further delays and prevent the risk of missing the deadline.

Why can’t I claim for any service before May of 1987?

Unfortunately, the Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces) Act 1987 provided immunity to the Crown, including the MOD, meaning they are not subject to being sued for any injury that occurred before May of 1987.

If you have served your whole service before 1987, unfortunately we are unable to proceed with a claim. Another option may be the War Pensions Scheme.

If you have served both before and after the May 1987 cutoff, we believe we would be able to bring a claim for you. If it is brought through the Matrix Agreement, your claim will be subject to 2 deductions, one for the Matrix which is based on the last date of service, and a second deduction for any service pre May 1987. These deductions will be a percentage figure and will be sent to us for agreement by the MOD’s representatives.