Calls to improve 'inconsistent' implementation of the Armed Forces Covenant
A new report is highlighting the ways in which the implementation of the Armed Forces Covenant needs to be improved for the military and veterans' communities.
The findings point to inconsistencies in how it is delivered, leading to those who've served and their families being put at a disadvantage.
The Armed Forces Covenant was introduced in 2000 to ensure that military service did not impact on personnel, veterans and their dependants when it came to the provision of good and services.
More than 10,000 organisations and companies across the UK have signed up to the covenant over the last 25 years.
But the new report shows some in the Armed Forces community feel they are being put at a disadvantage because of their or a loved one's service.
Some said they had fallen to the bottom of NHS waiting lists when they had to move posts and missed out on medical treatment as a result.
Others had difficulties in finding school places for their children.
But the report said the covenant was working well in removing potential disadvantages for some personnel and veterans.
The House of Commons Defence Select Committee wants to see the expansion and strengthening of the covenant to ensure it benefits as many people as possible.
It calls for the Legal Duty – the duty to give due regard to military service – to be expanded to central government departments and the devolved administrations.
Committee chair Tan Dhesi said: "Our Armed Forces dedicate their lives to protecting our nation and make huge personal sacrifices in doing so.
"Military service can take a toll on personnel and their families. Service can be difficult, demanding and dangerous, so society must work hard to ensure that no one suffers disadvantages for serving the country.
"The Armed Forces Covenant is supposed to support those who have served, but unfortunately our report today finds that the covenant is inconsistently implemented – delivering value for some, but not others.
"We heard evidence of personnel being financially disadvantaged, unable to access necessary medical care, or unable to find an appropriate school for their children due to their service."
He went on: "When the covenant works, it works well. Personnel and their families told us that they had successfully made use of the Legal Duty of the covenant to access services.
"But this is a lottery, made worse by the unpredictability and mobility of service life. When trying to access healthcare, each move can send Service families to the bottom of waiting lists for treatment.
"Our report calls for the covenant to be strengthened and expanded in law, and for Government to be much more proactive in ensuring the covenant is properly understood and consistently implemented across all parts of our society.
"Government must provide guidance and direction so that both the private and public sector have clarity on what their responsibilities to service personnel and their families are, and so that personnel, families and veterans can rely on the covenant wherever they are."
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