Aftermath of World War One.
In Britain, the response to more than 2 million disabled British War veterans after WW1 was to either suffer in silence (a majority) or the minority who fought for rights not charity. Faced with the injustice of a government that had taken a conscious decision to restrict pensions and not to provide adequate training or support for employment, they had to rely on charities. Unlike Germany, the British government had no comprehensive plan to rehabilitate or to get disabled ex-servicemen back to work. By 1919, 1.6 million had been awarded war pensions, which required attending a local Medical Board and establishing the percentage of impairment. Many complained that they were not believed and these tribunals were very demeaning. The level of pension was not adequate to live on and did not support a family, in 1920; the maximum pension was 40 shillings a week. An unskilled builder earned 84 shillings and 4 pence, a coal mining labourer 99 shillings and 3 pence and a skilled coal getter 135 shillings 6 pence. By comparison German pensions were higher and provided for dependents. In the U.K., Non-Commissioned officers (NCOs) and officers got 1.5 to 3 times more.
| % of Disability | Pension for Private | Specific injury in Britain-illustrative | U.K. | Germany |
| 100% | 40 shillings + family supplement per month | Two or more limbs: arm and eye: leg and eye: all fingers and thumbs, both feet hand and foot, total paralysis, Lunacy, Brain Epilepsy, injury or very severe facial disfigurement | 6.7% | 6.0% |
| 90% | 36 shillings | Amputation right arm through shoulder | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| 80% | 32 shillings | Amputation of leg at hip or stump not more than 5ins, right arm below shoulder with stump 6ins, severe facial disfigurement, loss of both feet | 3.5% | 3.8% |
| 70% | 28 shillings | Amputation leg below hip, or 6 ins below shoulder or not more than 5 ins below elbow, total deafness | 5.3% | 7.2% |
| 60% | 24 shillings | Amputation of leg below middle thigh or not more than 4 ins below knee, or right arm 5 ins below elbow | 8.2% | 8.32% |
| 50% | 20 shillings | Amputation of leg more than 4 ins below knee, left arm more than 5 ins below elbow, loss of vision one eye | 12.7% | 17.0% |
| 40% | 16 shillings | Loss of thumb or 4 fingers right hand, loss of 2 toes or both feet, Lisfranc op. in one foot | 12.7% | 15.1% |
| 30% | 12 shillings | Loss of thumb or four fingers on left hand, loss of three fingers right | 20.1% | 41.9% |
| 20% | Lump sum | Various, but not neurothesis, or shell shock | 29.9% | N/A |
Cowdenbeath War Memorial 