Benefits and concessions for the armed forces, veterans and their families

About this information

This information applies to:

• people who are serving in the armed forces

• people who used to serve in the armed forces (veterans)

• the dependants of people serving in the armed forces and veterans

There are many different kinds of financial help available for people in the armed forces, veterans and their families.

You can use this information to find out what financial help might be available to you, depending on your situation. You can also use this information to find details of organisations that might be able to help you further.

What financial help is available?

Veterans, people serving in the armed forces and their dependants have a range of financial help available to help them. This can include:

• benefits in the UK

• benefits abroad

• Council Tax Relief

• help with school fees

• help with childcare costs

• free and reduced travel costs

Benefits in the UK

Veterans, people serving in the armed forces and their dependants may be able to claim a range of benefits in the UK. These include:

• Universal Credit

• Child Benefit

• Statutory Sick Pay

• Armed Forces Independence Payment

• Personal Independence Payment

• Sure Start Maternity Grant

• Jobseekers Allowance

• tax credits

You can use a benefit calculator to check what benefits you can get. You’ll need to know details about your:

• income - including any earnings or benefits

• rent and living costs

• savings and investments

Work out what benefits you might get using a calculator.

Benefits abroad

If you are a veteran living abroad, or you are serving in the armed forces abroad, you and your dependants may still be able to claim some benefits in the UK. You may be able to claim:

• Maternity Allowance

• Child Benefit

• Employment and Support Allowance

• Jobseekers Allowance (in certain European Union countries only)

If you are refused a benefit you think you should get, you can contact the Royal British Legion for help to appeal for overseas support.

Council Tax Relief

You may be able to get a tax-free relief payment for your council tax or contributions you pay instead of council tax. You may be able to get a relief payment if you are serving abroad in the armed forces and pay:

• council tax on a property in the UK, or

• contributions instead of council tax for service family accommodation

Payments are issued at the end of your time abroad. They are based on the number of days served abroad.

If you have served tours in Afghanistan and Iraq you should receive payments covering any period of service abroad since 1 October 2007.

If you were deployed in the following locations from 1 February 2008, you should receive payments covering any period of service abroad:

• Bahrain

• Bosnia

• British Forces South Atlantic Islands

• Diego Garcia

• Kosovo

• Kuwait

• Oman

• Qatar

• Royal Navy Ships in receipt of Deployment Welfare Package (Overseas)

• United Nations Operations.

If you were deployed in Libya from 1 July 2011, you should receive payments covering any period of service abroad.

Armed forces pensions

If you are claiming a War Pension, or claiming a War Widow(er) pension and you are moving abroad, you should get advice on your pension.

You can get advice from Veterans UK. Their contact details are:

Veterans UK

Ministry of Defence

Norcross

Thornton Cleveleys

Lancashire

FY5 3WP

Veterans UK helpline: 0808 1914 218 Monday to Thursday, 7.30am to 6.30pm Friday, 7:30am to 5:00pm

Textphone: 01253 866 043

Bereavement line: 0800 169 3458

Email: veterans-uk@mod.uk

Website: www.gov.uk/veterans-uk

Free and reduced travel costs

Veterans travel in London

You can apply to join the Veterans Concessionary Travel Scheme in London if you are:

• a veteran getting financial help under the War Pensions Scheme

• a veteran getting regular financial help under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme

• war widowed and getting financial help from the War Pensions or Armed Forces Compensation Schemes

Under the Veterans Concessionary Travel Scheme, you will be issued with an Oyster photocard. You can use this to travel free at any time within London on the bus, underground, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), tram and London overground services.

You can find out more information about this scheme by contacting Transport for London. Their contact details are:

Helpline: 0845 331 9872 (open Monday to Friday, 9.00am – 5.00pm)

Website: www.tfl.gov.uk.

Service personnel and veterans bus travel

Seriously injured service personnel and seriously injured veterans are entitled to a free bus pass and free local bus travel at any time within Wales.

Read more information about the help available for service personnel and veterans in Wales on the Welsh Government website.

Blue Badge Scheme

You may be eligible for a Blue Badge if you are a disabled veteran or a member of the armed forces.

If you are currently in the armed forces and are no longer resident the UK, you or a member of your household can apply to the Ministry of Defence for a blue badge. If you've kept your UK residency, you should apply to your local authority.

For more information about the war disablement pension, see Pension and compensation schemes for the armed forces, veterans and their families.

For more information about eligibility for the Blue Badge scheme, see who is eligible for a blue badge.

You can find more information on the Blue Badge scheme on the GOV.UK website.

Forces Railcard

People serving in the armed forces, their spouses and civil partners and dependant children can buy the HM Forces Railcard. This gives you 1/3 off most rail fares throughout the UK for a year.

You’re eligible for a railcard if you get an armed forces pension and either:

• you’re a person who was war widowed

• you’re a dependant of a person who was war widowed

You can check how much a Forces railcard costs and the savings you can make on the HM Forces website

If you are war widowed you can apply for a railcard through the Royal British Legion.

Royal British Legion helpline

Telephone: 0808 802 8080

Monday to Sunday, 8am to 8pm Calls are free.

Email: info@britishlegion.org.uk

Website: www.britishlegion.org.uk

Veterans cannot apply for this railcard

Forces discounts

People serving in the armed forces, veterans and their families can get discounts for many goods and services.

You can find out more about the discounts available from the Defence Discount Service website.

Other organisations

Seafarers' Advice & Information Line (SAIL)

SAIL is a UK-wide Citizens Advice service dedicated to serving veteran Royal Navy personnel and their families. They offer free benefits advice and support. 

Veterans UK

Veterans UK, which is an Agency of the Ministry of Defence (MOD), is the sole Government-funded source of help and advice for veterans. Its website has a lot of useful information for veterans and their families, including welfare support, other specialist support programmes that are available and links to other veterans organisations.

Veterans UK also runs a free helpline for veterans, which gives advice on many topics.

The contact details of Veterans UK are:

Veterans UK

Ministry of Defence

Norcross

Thornton Cleveleys

Lancashire

FY5 3WP

Veterans UK Helpline: 0808 1914 218

Monday to Thursday, 7.30am to 6:30pm

Friday, 7.30am to 5.00pm

Relay UK - if you can't hear or speak on the phone, you can type what you want to say: 18001 then 0800 169 3458

Email: veterans-uk@mod.uk

Website: www.gov.uk/veterans-uk