What does the Armed Forces C Not just a paper exercise, the Covenant is making a significant differen
The Covenant signing in Test Valley, Hampshire earlier this year. Seated, left to right: Lt Col Jason Kerr - CO 22 Engineer Regiment, Brig Richard Dennis - Colonel of the Regiment (Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment), Councillor Ian Carr - Leader of Test Valley Borough Council, Brig David Greenwood - Army Headquarters, Col Murray Whiteside - Commandant Army Aviation Centre
Since the Armed Forces Covenant was published just over a year ago, the Government, Local Authorities, charities and voluntary organisations have been very busy. A range of measures have been delivered to make life easier for the Armed Forces Community, including the introduction of the Community Covenant with a £30 million grant scheme to support it. Veterans are being given a great deal of consideration and will benefit from the Covenant. Here the MOD’s Covenant Team gives Veterans WORLD the latest update . . . THE principle behind the Covenant is that the Armed Forces community should not face disadvantage because of its military experience. In some cases, such as the sick, injured or bereaved, this means giving special consideration to enable access to public or commercial services that civilians wouldn’t receive. The Covenant covers issues from housing, health and education to support after service. Here are just a few of the commitments the Government has made to veterans...
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Housing When it comes to accessing social housing, we’ve made sure Service leavers aren’t disadvantaged by the amount of times they’ve had to move with the job by putting them on an equal footing with civilians already living in an area in terms of a ‘local connection’. For those veterans who are seriously injured as a result of service, we’ve ensured extra preference when applying for specially adapted housing.
and need prosthetic limbs, you will receive the same access and specialist care from the NHS as you did from Defence Medical Services. [Please see the article on page 14 for further information on prosthetic care.] It’s in healthcare where the ‘special treatment’ part of the Covenant comes into play. For example, veterans who have suffered injuries that mean they can no longer have children are guaranteed three cycles of IVF on the NHS.
If you are a veteran, you can get help to find somewhere to live from your local council. They can give you free advice on housing options and advice if you are homeless or threatened with homelessness. Healthcare It’s incredibly important to tell your GP that you’re a veteran, because if you have a medical condition as a result of your time in service you should be given priority in NHS treatment, subject to clinical need. If you were injured in Service
Veterans will benefit from a number of commitments outlined in the Covenant