Ministry Of Defence
The Veterans team
The Veterans team within Pensions Compensation and Veterans (PCV) is responsible for the policy on a range of veteran issues. The main areas the team deals with are legacy health, recognition, commemoration, transition to civilian life and liaising with the voluntary and community sector, devolved administrations and local authorities.
Legacy health
The Veterans team addresses health concerns of the following groups of veterans who believe their ill health to be a result of their service:
- veterans of the UK Atmospheric Nuclear Testing programme of the 1950s to 1960s
- veterans of the Porton Down volunteer testing programme of the 1950 to 1970s
- veterans of the 1990 to 1991 Gulf conflict
- veterans of the most recent operations in Iraq (Operation Telic) and Afghanistan (Operation Herrick)
Legacy health
Information about legacy health issues for armed forces veterans and veterans of the Porton Down testing programme and nuclear testing programme:
Gulf Conflict 1990 to 1991
Information on illnesses relating to veterans of the Gulf War including:
- UK position on Gulf War syndrome The medical asssesment
- programme medical statistics
- gulf war health research
Porton Down Volunteer testing programme 1950 to 1970s
Historical information on the Porton Down site and the tests conducted there, including:
- Medical Research Council Common Cold Research Unit
- historical survey of the Porton Down service volunteer programme 1939 to 1989
- Porton Down helpline
UK atmospheric nuclear testing programme 1950s to 1960s
Between 1952 and 1963 UK personnel were involved in a series of nuclear weapons tests in Australia and and islands in the Pacific.
Iraq (Operation Telic) and Afghanistan (Operation Herrick)
In 2003 the MOD commissioned the Kings Centre for Military Health Research to conduct a study on the health and wellbeing of UK armed forces personnel.
Recognition
The veterans team is responsible for ensuring that former service in the armed forces is recognised, appreciated and valued by both the government and general public. It does this by formulating, developing, evaluating and reviewing policy taking account of financial and presentational aspects.
Raising awareness
The Veterans team is responsible for raising awareness of the role of veterans and their contribution to society through initiatives such as Armed Forces Day, and the provision of HM Armed Forces and UK Merchant Seafarers Veterans lapel badges.
Heroes Return 2
The Big Lottery Fund is delivering the Heroes Return 2 programme. World War 2 veterans from the UK, Channel Islands and Republic of Ireland can apply for travel and accommodation costs to visit the places where they saw active service. They can also receive funding to take part in an official commemorations in the UK.
The scheme was scheduled to close on 31 December 2012.
Transition
Information about some of the issues which may affect servicemen and women who are due to leave and veterans who have left the armed forces, including homelessness and support for veterans in the criminal justice system.
Support following discharge
A smooth transition to civilian life is about ensuring ex-service personnel have the support they need once they have been discharged from the armed forces.
The vast majority of the 20,000 servicemen and women leaving the armed forces each year make the transition from service to civilian life without significant difficulties. However, there are some who do need additional support. The current focus is on homeless veterans and veterans in the criminal justice system.
Homeless veterans
The MOD supports a co-ordinated approach to meet the needs of ex-service personnel, working with policy leads from across government to ensure that those ex-service personnel who require support in securing accommodation receive appropriate assistance. The Department for Communities & Local Government (DCLG) in England and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales have primary responsibility for homelessness policy.
Research
The Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) provide data on the number of veterans seen rough sleeping in London.
The latest CHAIN survey (funded by DCLG) estimated that 3% of those found rough sleeping in London, from 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 had previously served in HM armed forces. The number of veterans who are statutory homeless is not available.
Supported housing
The MOD has supported the establishment of 2 supported housing schemes for ex-service personnel - Mike Jackson House in Aldershot, which opened in 2008 and The Beacon at Catterick, which opened to residents in September 2011. The focus is on helping individuals in service to ensure the risk of becoming homeless is minimised through the provision of schemes which offer affordable housing solutions.
Early service leavers
Early service leavers have been identified as a group particularly at risk of facing homelessness. This group receive appropriate assistance, however, it must be recognised that those who leave early tend to be vulnerable individuals from the outset, rather than become vulnerable as a result of their short career in the armed forces.
Veterans in the Criminal Justice System
Veterans in prison
The MOD and the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) have been working to provide up to date and authoritative data on the number of veterans in prison in England and Wales. The MODs Defence Statistics have estimated that, as at November 2009, regular ex-service personnel represented 3.5% of offenders in prison.
Defence Statistics have also determined that ex-service personnel in prison are predominantly male, British nationals, ex-army other ranks. The time between discharge from the armed forces and the start of their current prison sentence ranged from 0 to 41 years. However, Defence Statistics estimated that for males aged 18 to 54, the proportion of ex-service personnel in prison was 30% less than the proportion of the general population in the same age group.
Veterans on probation
Defence Statistics has also determined that, as at 30 September 2009, 3.4% of those supervised by Probation Trusts in England and Wales had previously served as regulars in the UK armed forces.
Defence Statistics also found this group to be predominately male, ex-army other rank, with 50% being aged 35 years and over. The time between discharge from the armed forces and the start of their current supervision record varied from 0 to 47 years, with 49% having received their supervision record within 10 years of leaving and only 6% within a year of leaving.
Information on previous cases of supervision records for these individuals was not available. However, Defence Statistics estimated that overall, a male member of the general population aged 18 to 54 was 12% more likely to have a probation supervision record than a former member of the armed forces.
Defence Statistics reports
Visit Statistics at MOD
Ex-service offenders working group
Status
The Ex-Service Offenders Working Group (ESOWG) is a non-executive group with a clear reporting chain within the MOD and the MOJ who each report to their respective Ministers. This ensures that the working group remains core business.
Membership
- MOJ: National Offender Management Service (Chair)
- MOD
- The Royal British Legion
- His Majestys Prison Dartmoor
- Combat Stress
- SSAFA Forces Help
- Nacro
- Veterans UK Veterans Welfare Service
- Action for Prisoners Families
- Liaison Officer Scottish Prison Service
- Liaison Officer Northern Ireland Prison Service
- Centre for Mental Health
Aim
The working group aims to ensure that the ex-service