Armed Forces Bill: Military Charities Urge Government To Strengthen Legislation

Twelve of the UK's forces charities have signed an open letter to the Government, claiming the Armed Forces Bill "does not go far enough" in protecting the military community.

The legislation aims to see the Armed Forces Covenant enshrined in law and introduce a legal duty for certain UK public bodies, including local councils, to have due regard for the covenant principles – a pledge to ensure the military community isn't disadvantaged by its service.

If passed, the legislation would currently impact decision-making across housing, education and healthcare issues, while special consideration may be deemed appropriate for certain community members, such as for the injured or bereaved.

While the charities say they "welcome" new provisions which will improve service members' access to services, they said the exemption of national Government and devolved administrations from that duty is a "major gap".

They added in their open letter: "This is compounded by the omission of important topics including employment, pensions, compensation, social care, criminal justice, and immigration from the bill's scope."

Introduced to the House of Commons in January this year, the bill's overarching purpose is to renew the Armed Forces Act 2006 for the next five years.

Jeff Harrison, Interim CEO of Combat Stress, a charity that helps veterans with their mental health, said the scope of the bill seemed "strange".

Watch: Armed Forces Bill – What will it do and how will it work?

"We're a health-based charity, a mental health-based charity, so it's pleasing that our part is in there – but there are plenty of areas that aren't in there, ones that were in the covenant," he told Forces News.

"Things like compensation and pensions, immigration and the criminal justice system – those are areas that we shouldn't miss out on.

"Our worry really is that you don't get this opportunity very often," he said, adding that "recognition" of sacrifice is important to the forces. 

Matthew Seward, of the Royal British Legion, has encouraged those in support of the open letter to contact their local MP, insisting the bill must be broad enough to future-proof it for future issues.

Andy Pike, head of policy and research at the Royal British Legion said the legislation "doesn't go far enough" and does little to help those recruited from Commonwealth countries bring their family with them to the UK.

A "minimum income threshold" set by the Home Office clashes with military pay, he said – resulting in years of wait times to reunite personnel with loved ones.

"Then, when they leave, they'll be faced with indefinite leave to remain fees to get settled status and that comes with a £2,500 price tag," he added. 

Among other amendments to the bill is one to ensure serious offences such as murder and rape are dealt with in the civil justice system, while another proposes to create a new independent body to oversee complaints about the Service Police.

An MOD spokesperson said:

"We have the utmost respect and appreciation for military charities and the excellent work they do in supporting the Armed Forces community.

"The Armed Forces Bill delivers for our service personnel and veterans by, for the first time ever, strengthening the Covenant into law and supporting our Armed Forces community when it comes to key matters such as housing, healthcare and education."

Cover image: Royal Navy.