Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2017 to Question 9663, if he will set out the measures that his Department has implemented to improve access to benefits and employment for former members of the armed services.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) officials play an active part in the Armed Forces Covenant Reference Group, which brings together officials from across Government with a number of Armed Forces Service organisations. DWP also has a nominated Armed Forces Advocate who is responsible for ensuring that the needs of service personnel, their families and veterans are supported and treated fairly. In Great Britain, DWP has put in place a number of measures to improve access to benefits and employment and to take account of the particular challenges some former members of the Armed Forces might face. These include:
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the financial effect of recent welfare reforms on veterans.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
A broader impact assessment covering the latest welfare reform changes that were brought in under the Welfare Reform Act 2016, was published and can be found at http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/welfarereformandwork/documents.html.
As a department, the DWP takes its commitments under the Armed Forces Covenant seriously and works to ensure that Service personnel, veterans, and their families are supported and treated fairly. DWP has put in place a number of measures to improve access to benefits and employment and to take account of the particular challenges some members of the Armed Forces community might face.