- Veterans’ welfare services to be refreshed following
Veterans’ Welfare Review, including improved Veterans’ Gateway.
- Government will confirm that it accepts most of the
recommendations from the independent review.
- Veterans UK brand to be retired, with services and
responsibilities across government clarified.
Veterans services in the UK are to receive a fresh start as the
government today accepted the majority of recommendations from
the Independent Review of UK Government Welfare Services for
Veterans.
The Veterans UK brand will be retired next year, as part of a
move to better communicate the variety of services which the MOD
provides for veterans and the wider Armed Forces Community. The
move will clarify the services on offer and the MOD will
establish and communicate an appropriate replacement in due
course.
It is a government priority to ensure that every veteran knows
where to turn to access government support if they need
it.
To help this, the Veterans’ Gateway will be improved, with user
research already being undertaken, including involving veterans
to help better target services.
To further clarify the roles and responsibilities across
government and underlining the Office for Veterans’ Affairs
central role in coordinating veterans’ support, the word
‘Veterans’ is being removed from the MOD Ministerial title
‘Minister for Defence People Veterans and Service
Families’.
The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs gave an update to the House of
Commons today on progress of the Veterans’ Welfare Review, which
marks a fresh start for veterans’ support services.
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs said:
We are making huge strides with veterans’ care in this country
but it is important that veterans know where to turn when
accessing some of the services on offer.
That’s why we commissioned this independent review and today
we’re accepting many of the recommendations they have made.
These changes will help veterans services become more effective,
efficient and clear - ultimately benefiting veterans across the
UK.
As the Veterans UK brand is retired, the Ministry of Defence will
consider a more appropriate way to present the service they
provide to the Armed Forces and veteran communities, to ensure
individuals clearly understand what the MOD do to support them
and how to access those services when they need them.
Minister for Defence People and Families , said:
This jointly commissioned independent review builds on the hard
work already being undertaken by a lot of people who genuinely
care about providing high quality services for our Armed Forces
Community.
The recommendations in this review will help ensure we are taking
that hard work in the right direction for our Armed Forces
Community, who deserve the best services.
The Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees, will be modernised
to better support veterans welfare. Work is already under way
following the Royal Assent of the MOD sponsored Private Members
Bill in support of this work and in conjunction with the welfare
review, government will work to clarify the role of VAPCs in a
way that can better serve the Armed Forces Community.
The Welfare Services Review considered the role, scope and
breadth of UK Government welfare provision for veterans,
including those administered by the Ministry of Defence.
Support which was looked at included services such as the
Veterans Welfare Service, the Defence Transition Service, which
supports military personnel as they move into civilian life, is
also part of the review. Other services which were part of the
review included the Integrated Personal Commissioning for
Veterans, the Northern Ireland Veterans Support Office, the
Veterans’ Gateway, the Veterans Advisory Pensions Committees and
the Ilford Park Polish Home.
The government has accepted the principles behind most of the
recommendations made by the Independent Review of UK Government
Welfare Services for Veterans.
The OVA has also recently launched a consultation to build its
understanding of veterans, assess the effectiveness of current
policies, including welfare services available, and shape future
strategies.
