The 2019 Armed Forces Covenant Report published
January 10, 2020
The 2019 Armed Forces Covenant Report was published on 20 December.
The report outlines how the Government has been fulfilling its responsibility to ensure the military community are not disadvantaged as a result of their service.
Key accomplishments for 2018/19 include the creation of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs to co-ordinate and drive government activity to support veterans, the introduction of flexible service allowing regular personnel to temporarily work part time and the launch of the Future Accommodation Model pilot, looking at how the accommodation offer for service personnel can be improved. In addition, the Forces Help to Buy scheme has been extended to December 2022, helping Armed Forces personnel to get on the property ladder. Also, around £5 million of funding has been provided for the Department of Work and Pensions to bolster its Armed Forces Champions across the country, with the aim of improving the service provided to the wider Armed Forces Community.
In 2020, the Armed Forces Covenant will be further incorporated into law over the course of this Parliament. The legislation will seek to strengthen current arrangements to remove disadvantage and improve the consistency of Covenant outcomes for the Armed Forces community.
Minister for Defence People and Veterans Johnny Mercer said:
“Our armed forces make many sacrifices in defending our nation, so it’s only right we do all we can to ensure personnel are not disadvantaged. This report clearly demonstrates we are taking this responsibility seriously, with schools better able to cater for service children, improved access for veterans to healthcare, and the Covenant reaching its 4000th signing.
Of course, there is still work to be done and I look forward to the role that the Office for Veterans’ Affairs will play in providing our people with the support they deserve.”
A full copy of the report, a summary document and the Covenant on a Page PDF are available at Gov.UK.