The authorities in Pristina said that ex-guerrillas verified as having fought for the Kosovo Liberation Army against Serbian forces will get veterans’ pensions from January. The government commission tasked with verifying who fought for the Kosovo Liberation Army during the 1998-99 conflict has announced that veterans will start to receive benefits from January 2015.

A total of 66,300 people have applied for war veteran status, but only 16,000 have been judged to be genuine so far, the commission’s director Faik Fazliu told Kosovo media. Some 14,000 applications remain to be verified, however. “The list [of verified veterans] will be published in December. In January, it is expected that veterans will start to receive the benefits they deserve,” Fazliu said.

Fazliu told BIRN last month that government estimates have suggested that the final headcount will reveal that some 20,000 people fought for the KLA. In April this year, MPs approved new legislation granting benefits to former KLA guerrillas.

The law envisages benefits for those who fought in the 1998-99 conflict with Serbia, but can only enter into force once all former KLA fighters are officially verified.

Unemployed veterans will receive a monthly payment not less than the minimum wage in Kosovo – 170 euro for people over 35 years old and 130 euro for those under 35. The government has set aside some 25 million euro in its budget for benefits for former fighters and for people who were raped during wartime.