Government launches review into its own veterans welfare services

Government officials say they are launching a joint review into its own departments responsible for providing welfare services to veterans.

The review, which is expected to take around three months, will examine the effectiveness and efficiency of current welfare services and make recommendations for any improvements.

The Office for Veterans’ Affairs and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) will be reviewing a range of welfare services, including those under the banner of Veterans UK – the MOD department responsible for providing compensation to injured personnel.

This review has been commissioned following a veterans’ survey launched by the All-Party Parliamentary Group which found that 76.4% of veterans and personnel rated their overall experience claiming compensation through Veterans UK as poor or very poor.

This also comes after Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer promised to “totally reform” the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, which is administered by Veterans UK, after claims soldiers were laughed at by military officials when making compensation claims.

Speaking about this latest review, which aims to identify any gaps in support, Mr Mercer said: “We recognise that supporting veterans to access appropriate support is critical to this Government’s success in making the UK the best country in the world to be a veteran.

“This review will enable us to better align the workings of a range of support services, with the needs of the veterans’ community, and enhance the quality of the services veterans are offered.”

The joint Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) and MOD review will be conducted by an independent civil servant, who will be supported by a joint secretariat from the MOD and Cabinet Office.

Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families Dr Andrew Murrison said: “We are eternally grateful for the service of all our veterans and it’s only right that we provide them with the support they deserve.

“This is why I and the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs have called for a review into the welfare provisions for veterans. 

“This is in no way a reflection of the efforts of every one of our fantastic teams, who are working so hard to provide enduring support, but part of our ongoing commitment to improving our offer for our serving personnel, veterans and their families,” he added.

Some of the departments and areas being reviewed include The Northern Ireland Veterans Support Office, The Veterans’ Gateway, The Veterans Advisory Pensions Committees, and The Defence Transition Service, which aims to support military personnel as they move into civilian life.