Sources of help

If you are in crisis please access the following:

• Are you in danger or immediate risk? Call 999
• Do you need to talk to someone? Call the Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org)

For other help, please select from these topics:

• Housing
• Healthcare
• Education and childcare
• Employment
• Personal finances
• Signing the Covenant
• Covenant disputes
• Employer Recognition Scheme
• Covenant funding
• Covenant logos
• Further sources of help

Housing

• If you are looking for social housing, or are at risk of homelessness, please contact your local authority, highlighting your status as a member of the Armed Forces community. You should be aware that there is no ‘right’ to social housing for veterans, so significant wait times are likely.
• You can seek help from MOD’s Defence Transition Services via: Getting help to find a civilian home when leaving the armed forces
• You can also contact a range of military charities, including: The Stoll Foundation, Haig Housing Trust, Alabare Homes for Veterans, Royal British Legion – Housing, Naval Families Federation – Accommodation, RAF Families Federation – Accommodation and housing, Army Families Federation – Housing
• There is additional guidance at: A list of organisations who can provide further advice and information about housing, Support for veterans and their families – housing and homelessness, and Information and guidance on civilian housing
• You can also check out Covenant support for the Armed Forces community: Housing

Healthcare

• NHS England has a national care co-ordinator function for Armed Forces families who move within England, between the Devolved Nations, or from overseas. Contact them directly via: armedforceshealth@nhs.net. For example, if you need help with your position on an NHS waiting list.
• If you need support with your mental health, the following are available to the Armed Forces community (in addition to standard NHS and Defence Medical Services care):
  • In England: Op COURAGE, an NHS mental health specialist service, helping those due to leave the military, reservists, veterans, and families.
  • In Scotland: Veterans First Point, a mental health service delivered by NHS Scotland.
  • In Wales: Veterans NHS Wales, a mental health service for service‑related conditions.
  • In Northern Ireland: the Veterans Welfare Service Northern Ireland.
  • Combat Stress – For veterans from every service and conflict
  • A range of other military charities, including: Help for Heroes – Mental Health and Wellbeing Support, Royal British Legion – Physical and Mental Health, SSAFA Mental wellbeing help, Naval Families Federation – Armed Forces Mental Health Support, RAF Families Federation – Mental health support for the RAF community, Army Families Federation – Mental health
  • There is additional guidance at: Managing your mental health as a veteran
• If you need help with a physical health issue arising from your service in the Armed Forces, the following are available to the Armed Forces community (in addition to standard NHS and Defence Medical Services care):
  • In England: Op RESTORE, which supports individuals who have served in, or are leaving, the UK Armed Forces, and have continuing, physical health injuries and related medical problems attributed to their time in the Armed Forces.
  • In Scotland: The Patient Advice & Support Service Scotland.
  • In Wales: Veterans NHS Wales – physical problems.
  • In Northern Ireland: the Veterans Welfare Service Northern Ireland.
  • Blesma, dedicated to assisting veterans with life-changing limb loss.
  • A range of other military charities, including: Help for Heroes – Physical Health Support, Royal British Legion – Physical and Mental Health, Naval Families Federation – Physical Health Advice for Service Families, RAF Families Federation – Health and wellbeing information for the RAF family, Army Families Federation – Health & Additional Needs
  • There is additional guidance at: Managing illness or injury as a veteran
• You can also check out Covenant support for the Armed Forces community: Healthcare

Education and childcare

• If you need help for any education-related issues such as securing a school place for your child, or additional needs school admissions, please contact the local authority where you live or are moving to, highlighting your status as a Service family. MOD’s Education Advisory Team can support your correspondence with your local authority. Contact them via: RC-DCS-HQ-EAT@mod.gov.uk
• If you need advice with education settings overseas, including support with children with additional needs, please contact MOD’s Overseas Education and Supportability Team, via: RC-DCS-HQ-OES@mod.gov.uk
• If you need support with wraparound childcare costs in the UK or in eligible overseas locations, you may be able to access wraparound childcare funding. For more information please see: Childcare for Service children
• A range of military charities may also be able to help, including: Naval Families Federation – Education, RAF Families Federation – Education and childcare, Army Families Federation – Education and childcare
• You can also check out Covenant support for the Armed Forces community: Education and Covenant support for the Armed Forces community: Childcare

Employment

• If you need help finding work or are looking to employ veterans, reservists, or partners of serving members of the Armed Forces, the following are available to help the Armed Forces community and their employers (in addition to standard Jobcentre services):
  • The Career Transition Partnership: The official resettlement service for the Armed Forces, providing comprehensive personal support for Service leavers transitioning into civilian employment, further education, or retirement.
  • The Forces Employment Charity: The charity providing life-long support, job opportunities and training to service leavers, veterans, reservists and their families.
  • Op ASCEND: Providing veterans and their families with free support to grow their careers, as well as supporting employers seeking skilled talent.
  • The Armed Forces Champion in your Jobcentre Plus district
  • Sector-specific schemes to support recruitment for the Armed Forces community: Step Into Health, Advance into Justice, Great place to work for Veterans scheme (civil service)
  • A range of other military charities, including: Royal British Legion – Employment, Army Families Federation – Employment and Training, RAF Families Federation – Employment and Training, Naval Families Federation – Partner Employment
  • There is additional guidance at: Support for veterans and their families – Employment and Education and Getting employment support when leaving the armed forces
• If you need flexibility from your employer, or have a dispute with them: All employers are encouraged to consider the needs of the Armed Forces community, particularly if they have signed the Covenant. Also, some public sector employers are subject to the Covenant Legal Duty. Please organise a meeting with your HR department, noting if they are a Covenant signatory or if they are subject to the Legal Duty, along with your status as a member of the Armed Forces community. For additional support, please contact Defence Relationship Management through the DRM Contact Form. DRM is the central point of contact for all enquiries relating to specific employers.
• You can also check out Covenant support for the Armed Forces community: Civilian employment

Personal finances

• If you need financial guidance or support, please consult:
  • Joining Forces, which is three credit unions working together to provide savings accounts and loans to the Armed Forces and their families. They can offer free and impartial financial guidance to service personnel across Defence, covering all aspects of financial services.
  • Citizens Advice – Debt and money
  • A range of military charities, including: SSAFA’s financial planning support and SSAFA’s Forcesline, Royal British Legion’s financial support, RAF Families Federation – Money matters, Army Families Federation – Money matters, Naval Families Federation – Finance
  • There is additional guidance at: getting financial support as a veteran, financial support for reservists, or financial top tips for service personnel
• If you need advice about your Armed Forces pension, please contact Defence Business Services, via: dbs-pensionshelp@dbspv.mod.uk
• If you need help with insurance, please consult SSAFA – Trinity Insurance
• You can also check out Covenant support for the Armed Forces community: Financial services

Signing the Covenant

• If you have a query about your own signing of the Covenant, please contact Defence Relationship Management (DRM) through the DRM Contact Form. DRM manages all aspects of signing Covenant pledges. For example, queries such as:
  • how to sign the Covenant
  • what you commit to by signing the Covenant
  • how to follow up on a Covenant signing submission if you have not received a response
  • information about pledge renewal
  • receiving a copy of your pledge certificate
  • company changes e.g. change in ownership
• You can also check out Sign the Covenant and FAQs – Signing the Covenant, which might answer your question.

Covenant disputes

• If you have a complaint about a Covenant signatory, or an organisation subject to the Covenant Legal Duty, please first raise this with the organisation concerned, by following their standard complaints and appeal process.
• Complaints that remain unresolved are best referred by the complainant to the relevant ombudsman. Ombudsmen have been established for the purpose of investigating complaints about public bodies from individuals, and are independent. The key public sector ombudsmen are: Public Service Ombudsman for Wales, Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman, and in England, the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman, Housing Ombudsman, or Public Service Ombudsman. A full list is available at: Find an ombudsman.
• If you wish to complain to MOD about an organisation’s breach of its Covenant pledge, please contact Defence Relationship Management through their Contact Form.
• If you wish to complain to MOD about an organisation’s breach of the Covenant Legal Duty, please be aware that MOD does not have the powers to investigate alleged breaches of the law in this way, or formally adjudicate these legal disputes. Please submit your complaint to the relevant ombudsman.
• It might be possible to challenge any alleged non-compliance with the Covenant Legal Duty by making an application to judicially review an organisation’s actions or omissions. Further guidance is available at: ‘Judge Over Your Shoulder’ Guide

Employer Recognition Scheme

• If you have a query about the Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS), please contact Defence Relationship Management through the DRM Contact Form. DRM manages the Scheme on behalf of MOD. For example, queries such as:
  • requesting an update on the status of your award
  • how to renew your award
  • how to receive an ERS award or upgrade it to the next level
  • how to make a complaint about an ERS award holder
• You can also check out Employer Recognition Scheme and FAQs – The Employer Recognition Scheme, which might answer your question.

Covenant funding

• If you have a query about Covenant funding, please contact the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust. This Trust is responsible for allocating the Government’s Covenant funding.

Covenant logos

• If you are looking for the Covenant logo or Employer Recognition Scheme award logos, they are available for download at: Covenant Brand Guidelines.

Further sources of help

Royal Navy Family and People Support (RN FPS) / Army and RAF HIVEs Information Centres

The network of RN FPS/HIVEs, both within the UK and abroad, serves as a vital point of contact for the Armed Forces community, including Service personnel, whether Regular or Reservists, veterans, family members, and MOD civilian staff.

RN FPS/HIVEs are the focal point in providing an extensive range of information and support services, covering areas such as relocation, accommodation, deployment support, health & wellbeing, employment & training opportunities, and early years & education.

RN FPS/HIVEs are there to support our people and their families by providing timely and accurate information and assistance.

Information Officers are not trained in welfare counselling; however, they are able to offer initial support to individuals and can facilitate referrals to appropriate professional internal and external services. All staff adhere to a Code of Confidentiality

Royal Navy: Royal Navy Forum, Royal Navy Families and veterans, Royal Navy FPS on Facebook, Royal Navy FPS on X (Twitter)

Army: The Army HIVEs website contains contact details for all Army HIVEs in the UK and overseas. Where there is no physical HIVE overseas, the tri-Service International HIVE (iHIVE) covers these locations. The Army HIVE Blog hosts daily news updates, generic information sheets and location guides. Also: Army HIVE on Facebook, Army HIVE on X (Twitter), Army HIVE on Instagram

RAF: RAF HIVE Information Service to locate your nearest unit. Also: RAF HIVE on Facebook, RAF HIVE on X (Twitter), RAF HIVE on Instagram

Covenant Champions

Some organisations appoint an Armed Forces Champion. This is a point of contact in the organisation that members of the Armed Forces community can contact for assistance or advice. Please contact the organisation concerned to find out if they have an Armed Forces Champion, and who this is. In Wales, the Armed Forces Liaison Officers also provide a point of contact for the Armed Forces community.

Support for veterans

Support for veterans and their families is available as follows:

• Find guidance for veterans and their families
• Search for veteran support services

Veterans UK is MOD’s dedicated veterans support organisation. It provides assistance on many issues, including MOD’s injury and bereavement compensation schemes, Armed Forces pensions, benefits, housing and welfare.

You can also contact the Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees. These serve and support ex-servicemen and women, their widows or widowers and their immediate family members.

Families Federations

Each Service has an independent Families Federation, which can offer you support and advice. They work with your Service and every level of Government as your advocate, meeting regularly with key Government departments.

• Naval Families Federation (Royal Navy and Royal Marines)
• Army Families Federation
• RAF Families Federation

Charities

Some of the charities that support the Armed Forces are listed below. These charities can give advice and support to serving personnel, their families, the bereaved and veterans.

• Cobseo – The Confederation of Service Charities: a single point of contact for interactions with all levels of government, the Royal Household, the private sector and the Armed Forces community.
• The Royal British Legion: lifelong support for the Armed Forces community.
• SSAFA (The Armed Forces Charity): the UK’s oldest national tri-service military charity.
• The Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC): principal charity for the Royal Navy, supporting sailors, marines and their families in and out of service.
• The Army Benevolent Fund: key charity for Army personnel, veterans and their families, providing support to 70,000 people in 45 countries.
• The RAF Benevolent Fund: providing practical, emotional and financial support to members of the RAF family for over 100 years.
• Forces Employment Charity: the charity providing life-long support, job opportunities and training to service leavers, veterans, reservists and their families.
• Help for Heroes: leading UK Armed Forces charity, providing support and assistance to veterans and their families.
• Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT): charity which funds targeted, conceptually sound, evidence generation and influencing activities to achieve real policy change for the benefit of all ex-Service personnel and their families.
• Stoll: the leading provider of supported housing to vulnerable veterans.
• The War Widows Association: charity that works to improve the conditions of War Widows and their dependents in Great Britain.
• Blesma: for all serving and ex-servicemen and women who have experienced the loss of limb, use of limbs, hearing, sight or speech, either during or after service.

You can search for a Service charity using the Cobseo search directory.

Citizens Advice

The Citizens Advice Bureau provides information for service personnel in or leaving the Armed Forces. They provide advice on:

• Benefits and entitlements
• Healthcare
• Housing
• Armed Forces Pensions

Moving between devolved administrations and returning from overseas

View Welcome guides for service personnel and their families moving between devolved administrations and returning from overseas.

Support groups

Find out about the Family Support Groups available to you and your family.

Find your local Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Club. If there isn’t one near you, the AFVBC will help you set one up.

Support for Ministry of Defence cadet forces and adult volunteers

The Ministry of Defence sponsors and supports five cadet forces (voluntary youth organisations). The cadet forces are based on the traditions, values and standards of their parent Service but they are not part of the Armed Forces. Therefore, they are not covered on this website. Support is available via the Ministry of Defence cadet forces guidance.

Further sources of support

Further information about support services for serving personnel and their families and veterans and their families is available.