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.

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:

• Every Jobcentre Plus District has an “Armed Forces Champion”, who works with the Career Transition Partnership, and also links with providers and charities giving specialist support, such as the Royal British Legion.
• DWP has ensured that War Disablement Pensions and guaranteed income payments made under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme will be fully disregarded in calculating an award of Universal Credit.
• Receipt of Armed Forces Compensation Scheme Guaranteed Income Payments, and War Pension Scheme payments, exempt a recipient and household from the benefit cap.
• Working with the Ministry of Defence we introduced the Armed Forces Independence Payment to provide financial support to service personnel and veterans seriously injured as a result of service to cover the extra costs they may have as a result of their injury.
• DWP uses Service Medical Board evidence where it can so a severely disabled person doesn’t have to undergo additional examinations for Employment and Support Allowance purposes.
• Early entry to the new Health and Work Programme where appropriate.