'Haven’t got the strength to fight anymore': Falklands War veteran with cancer only gets half of £104k pension
.jpg?width=96&crop=1:1,smart)
Andrew Rossiter was only given an option to receive roughly half of the money he was owed
A terminally ill Royal Navy veteran fighting to secure his pension from a company who claimed it “didn’t exist” will only receive half of the amount.
Andrew John Rossiter, who served in the Falklands War on HMS Antrim, has been trying to access his retirement fund of more than £104,000. He has pancreatic cancer and is currently undergoing palliative chemotherapy having been given less than a year to live.
The veteran, who also served in the Gulf War, has been in an elongated battle with Equiniti - also known as EQ Retirement Solutions - who have been operating his EDS Retirement Plan. Previously speaking to The News, he claimed the firm was withholding his money intentionally and initially told him his cash “didn’t exist”.
After months of complaints and his story being published, Mr Rossiter has been contacted by EQ Retirement Solutions and told he’ll only receive roughly 56 per cent of his £104,350 as a lump sum. This is despite his terminal condition.
Speaking about the £59,138 offer, Mr Rossiter told The News: “The guy on the phone said a load of stuff that was designed to blow my brain. He mentioned that through serious ill health, that offer was the only option. I guess he just wanted me to go away.
“I haven’t got the strength to fight it anymore, so that’s the end of it. I just need to get hold of what I can. I want to have my own money, so I’m going to have to get on and do it.”
The cash was accrued after his ten-year military service while working at the centurion building of HMS Sultan in Gosport. As part of an administrative role under the Armed Forces Paid Pension and Administration Contract, he worked for 11 years and four months.
Mr Rossiter, 62, was diagnosed with cancer in 2025. He has undergone various operations and 12 rounds of chemotherapy. After originally being given the all clear on December 12, he reported stomach pains in March 2026 and the disease returned - spreading across his body.
He said dealing with the pension battle and chemotherapy has take a toll on him. “There’s some relief that I don’t have to deal with the stress of it anymore,” he added. “It’s exhausting. If I had the strength, I’d fight on, but I can’t anymore.”
Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage, Conservative, has offered to help the Rossiter family and said she’s disgusted by the behaviour of Equiniti. She said: “At such a dreadful time, this is the last thing Andrew and his family should be facing.
“Equiniti should urgently look again at this case and their wider policies. My office has tried to reach Andrew and will do everything we can to support him if he contacts us. Sadly, it’s not the first time we’ve fought for a constituent struggling to access their pension at a time of serious ill health."
In general, pension companies use various metrics to measure the value of a retirement fund. A Cash Equivalent Transfer Value (CETV) represents the value of a member’s overall pension benefits if they were transferred to another pension arrangement. According to guidance from Aviva, cash lump sums can be deemed to be a different amount to a CETV.
An EQ Retirement Solutions spokesperson said: “While we are unable to comment publicly on the details of an individual case, we are treating this matter as a priority and working urgently to resolve it. We have contacted the member directly to provide an update and have apologised for any distress caused.
“We are committed to supporting every member with care and compassion, and to handling every application and enquiry fairly, sensitively and in accordance with the rules of the scheme.”