The United Kingdom offers a wide range of benefits to help veterans, including disabilities benefits. This help can cover those still living in the UK, as well as those living abroad. From benefits abroad, council tax relief and help with travel costs, there are many ways in which you may be eligible for support.
Benefits in the UK
The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
If you are a veteran who has an illness or injury caused by service in the Armed Forces on or after 6 April 2005, then you may be eligible for financial help under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
There are two main types of payments awarded under the scheme
- Lump sum payment for pain and suffering
- Monthly payment known as Guaranteed Income Payment (GIP).
Both payments are tax free, and the amount is set by Parliament based on the level of injury.
The scheme can also benefit you if you are a spouse or civil partner of a member of the Armed Forces whose death was caused by service, this is known as Survivor’s Guaranteed Income Payment (SGIP).
SGIP is an ongoing payment made to an eligible partner, which is paid monthly and lasts for life. The payment amount will be determined during the claim, and is calculated based on a few factors, including the deceased’s salary and their age.
Child payments are also made through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and are calculated similarly to SGIP. However, the amount payable depends on the number of children.
How do you claim benefits under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme?
In order to be part of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, you must complete a claim form – either online or by doing a paper claim. For veterans needing to complete a paper claim, you can do so by contacting the Veterans UK helpline on 0808 1914 218. They will send you a form to complete, and a pre-paid envelope for when you return it.
If you are claiming as a bereaved partner, you will also need to contact the Veterans UK helpline to request a form.
We can help you apply for benefits, visit our Get Help page for support.
Benefits abroad
How does this benefit veterans in the UK?
Veterans who are living abroad, and members of the Armed Forces who are serving abroad, may still be able to claim some benefits in the UK. This is hugely beneficial for veterans as it means they still have the flexibility of living where they want, but they don’t have the pressure of considering what disability benefits are on offer in the country they are moving to. Veterans can still rely on the benefits offered by the UK.
The benefits you may be able to claim include Maternity Allowance, Child Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance, and Jobseekers Allowance.
How do you claim benefits abroad?
There are a few things that disabled veterans should do if they are moving abroad and want to be entitled to benefits offered by the UK.
Firstly, you need to ensure you are going to a country which has a special agreement with the UK or a European Economic Area (EEA) country.
Following this, you should inform the office that pays your benefit, or alternatively your local Jobcentre Plus.
Finally, it is important that you tell HMRC that you are leaving the UK.
Council Tax Relief
Benefit to Veterans
If you are serving abroad in the Armed Forces and pay council tax on a property in the UK, you may be able to get a relief payment.
The cost that is covered is based on the number of days you’re deployed on a qualifying assignment.
How to claim Council Tax Relief
Council tax relief is automatically processed and will get paid in a lump sum at the end of your period of duty. Your unit HR or personnel office will be able to tell you if you are on a qualifying operation.
Childcare costs help
Benefit to veterans
The Wraparound Childcare (WAC) Scheme was launched in September 2022 in response to the struggles that some Service families face when trying to access childcare.
Members of the Armed Forces who are eligible for the scheme can register for up to 20 hours a week of wraparound childcare funding per child during term time – a total of 39 weeks per year. It is for children aged four to 11 years of age attending before or after school childcare in the UK or eligible overseas locations.
There is also another scheme called Tax-Free Childcarewhich was introduced in 2017. This helps working parents to cover the cost of childcare through the form of an online account, which parents can use to pay for childcare from an accredited provider. Over time, this scheme will replace the Armed Forces Childcare Voucher Scheme which closed to new entrants in 2018.
For every £8 parents pay into the account, they will receive £2 back from the government, with a total of up to £2,000 a year per child.
How to get help with childcare costs
Families of service personnel can check if they are eligible for the WAC scheme by searching for ‘wraparound childcare’ on the discover my benefits website.
As for the Tax-Free Childcare scheme, parents can check if they’re eligible and also apply through the step-by-step guide on the government’s childcare website page.
Help with travel costs
Travel in London
There are many forms of help with travel costs in the UK for veterans.
If you are based in London, you can apply to join the Veterans Concessionary Travel Scheme. This pass is for anyone receiving an ongoing payment under the War Pensions Scheme, or the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
It is issued as an Oyster photocard and can be used in zones one to six in London, including the Underground, DLR, London Trams and most bus services within Greater London.
Forces Railcard
People who are serving in the Armed Forces, and their immediate families, can buy the HM Forces Railcard, which gives you a third off most rail fairs throughout the UK.
The railcard costs £21, and can be used during the week, at weekends and public holidays. There are some restrictions, however, including a minimum fare for midweek travel before 10am from September through until June.
Veterans are also eligible for a railcard; however, the offer varies slightly from the Forces Railcard. To find out more, visit our Veteran’s Railcard page.
How to get help with travel costs
If you are interested in joining the Veterans Concessionary Travel Scheme in London, you can find out more by contacting Transport for London. Their helpline is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm – call 0845 331 9872.
To apply for a HM Forces Railcard, you need to see your Unit HR admin staff, who will set you up with one and deduct the cost from your pay. You can find out more about eligibility on the HM Forces website’s eligibility page.
Generally available disability benefits
Blue Badge Scheme
A Blue Badge allows people with disabilities or health conditions to park closer to their destination, giving access to more accessible parking options.
You are automatically eligible if you are registered as blind, care for a child over the age of two who is blind, get the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance or get a War Pensioners’ Mobility Supplement. You are also eligible if you received a lump sum payment as part of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and are classed as having a permanent disability.
The Citizens Advice web page on Blue Badges can give you further information on who is eligible.
Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
Personal Independence Payment, also known as PIP, can help individuals with extra living costs.
It is available for people with long term physical or mental health conditions or disabilities who have difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of their condition.
PIP works in two ways. The first is the daily living part, which is for individuals that require help with everyday tasks. The second part is mobility, which is for people who need help getting around.
You could be eligible for one or both parts, and the amount of help you get depends on how much you struggle with each.
To find out more, visit the PIP pages on the UK Government website.
Need help?
If you need support with applying for benefits, please get in touch.
All you need to do is submit an online form or call our friendly helpline team on 0300 303 9888.