Ex-service Personnel (Hansard, 28 October 2003)

§ Mr. Caplin

In my statement of 17 September 2003,Official Report, column 51WS, I drew Member's attention to the King's College London research paper published on the same day. It confirmed the MOD's assessment that although joining the armed forces is generally a positive experience, with the overwhelming majority of Service Personnel who have difficulty making the transition back to civilian life. Personnel most vulnerable to problems of transition include those discharged for medical reasons, including mental health conditions, as well as those dismissed for disciplinary reasons, premature leavers and those discharged as temperamentally unsuitable.

The MOD has a comprehensive range of measures to prevent or help deal with these potential difficulties. All Service Personnel who are medically discharged are entitled to the full resettlement package available to personnel serving prescribed lengths of service, including a career transition workshop, financial and housing briefings and individual interviews with a career consultant who is available for up to two years after discharge. When Service Personnel are medically discharged, the Veterans Agency automatically considers entitlement to pensions and allowances under the War Pension Scheme. Disablement pensions are tax-free and not income-related. The scheme includes a range of supplementary allowances to address the disabling effects of accepted disorders, for example, mobility and care. The War Pensioners' Welfare Service, located throughout the United Kingdom, provides war pensions advice, information and help to access appropriate services. When personnel leave the armed forces, their medical management becomes the responsibility of the national health service (NHS). Since the 1950s war pensioners have been entitled to NHS Priority Treatment for their accepted disorders.

The MOD has recently developed an Early Service Leavers Initiative which involves a programme to improve the transition process for those who leave early for whatever reason and are not eligible therefore, for the full resettlement package. The overarching aim is to create a resettlement umbrella that will cover all Service leavers. The Initiative provides for a range of measures that will include a mandatory resettlement interview to assess vulnerability, provide guidance on access to Job Centre Plus and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits, housing associations, financial matters and give contact details for the ex-Service charities and other welfare organisations.

As part of the Veterans Initiative, projects are in place or being developed on housing and homelessness and employment issues. Many of these involve the voluntary sector. Close contact is also being maintained with the DWP Pathways to Work Project and MOD is represented on the Social Exclusion Unit's Mental Health Project. This is inter-Departmental and is looking at how to improve employment rates for adults with mental health problems, both in terms of take-up and retention of jobs and how to promote greater social participation and access to services for this group. The Department of Health (DoH) has designated mental health in the community at large as one of its key 159W priorities. MOD is working closely with DOH colleagues to explore better services including delivery of mental health services for veterans and improved access to services. This will include work to increase Service leavers' and veterans' awareness of NHS facilities and services and to brief health professionals on military matters and culture.