Support for Gurkha veterans
On Thursday 26 March 2026 there will be a Backbench Business Committee debate on support for Gurkha veterans.
On Thursday 26 March 2026 there will be a Backbench Business Committee debate on support for Gurkha veterans.
Gurkha Pension SchemeThe 1947 Tripartite Agreement between Nepal, the UK and India established Gurkha service in the British Armed forces. Under this arrangement, Gurkhas served in the British Army on distinct terms and conditions. They also had access to the Gurkha Pension Scheme (GPS), introduced in 1948.
The GPS followed the Indian Army model and provided Gurkha soldiers with an immediate pension after 15 years’ service at Indian Army rates.
Gurkha Offer to Transfer (GOTT)In 2007, the Labour Government introduced the Gurkha Offer to Transfer (GOTT) (PDF), offering Gurkhas who served after July 1997 the option to transfer eligible service into the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. The UK became the home base for the Brigade of Gurkhas on 1 July 1997. Pre‑1997 service counted only fractionally, and Gurkhas discharged before that date were not eligible to transfer.
Successive governments justified this distinction because the GPS was designed to support retirement in Nepal.
Many retired Gurkhas who now live in the UK reject the argument that the GPS was designed solely for retirement in Nepal. Their arrival followed changes to the immigration rules in 2009. The followed a campaign supported by actor and campaigner, Joana Lumley.
Legal challenges, including a 2016 judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (PDF), upheld the Government’s position that the differential treatment was lawful.
Bilateral Gurkha CommitteeOn 7 August 2021, three members of Gurkha Satyagraha began a hunger strike outside Downing Street over differences between Gurkha and other British veterans’ pensions. On 19 August 2021, the hunger strike ended as the Government agreed to further talks and the establishment of a bilateral committee.
On 9 December 2021, the Government published its response to Gurkha Pension Scheme: Consultation on implementing the 7th Central Pay Commission. This consultation examined the long‑standing policy of linking GPS pension rates to Indian Army pensions and considered whether the existing uplift remained appropriate and affordable. The government concluded no factors had changed to amend its earlier decisions.
The Bilateral Gurkha Committee met for the first time in November 2022. In an interview with the Himalayan Times published on 13 February 2023, Dr Andrew Murrison, the then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families), said that “it's a strong principle that the treasury in the United Kingdom doesn't give room to retrospective changes to pension arrangements and that is the strong longstanding position.” He also said that he was hopeful that there will be an arrangement “which will be acceptable to all”.
Recent statementsOn 12 December 2025, the Minister Louise Sandher-Jones responded to a PQ on the issue. She said that courts have upheld the government's position as lawful.
On 3 March 2026, the government made a statement following the Nepalese Supreme Court's Judgment on Gurkha Pensions. Ministers said UK officials were investigating whether additional proposals could address the concerns raised.
Further informationThere is a summary and further background in the Library briefing on The campaign for Gurkha pensions, which was last updated in November 2021.