Response to the independent review of UK government welfare services for Veterans: UK government response

Abstract: The Government is fully committed to better supporting our Armed Forces Community. That is why the Ministry of Defence and Office for Veterans’ Affairs jointly commissioned an independent review into the role, scope and breadth of UK Government welfare provision for veterans, including by the Ministry of Defence under the Veterans UK banner. This is the first time these have been considered in the round since the launch of the Strategy for our Veterans and corresponding Veterans Strategy Action Plan, and the creation of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs. We want to ensure the services which Government provide to veterans and wider Armed Forces Community are fit for purpose and effective. We know that veterans and supporting organisations want to see real change taken to enhance and rationalise welfare services for our Armed Forces Community, and that is what we intend to do. This response sets out our commitment and high-level plans to take forward the intention of the recommendations, and further detail will be made available as we make progress in due course. We are grateful to the team that conducted the independent review for their thorough work and engagement throughout and look forward to working across government and with partners across the sector who deliver welfare support to implement changes and deliver improved support for our Armed Forces Community.

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