Casework provides welfare and wellbeing support for thousands of members of the Armed Forces community each year. Casework offers tailored and personal service and is often paired with financial assistance from other Armed Forces charities.

Evidence from SSAFA shows that the needs of the Armed Forces community are becoming more complex. In 2025 the average financial value of a case rose nearly 18% on the previous year.

Through evaluating the impact of casework support and evidencing its economic and social value, the project will enhance the Armed Forces charity sector’s capacity to address this changing demand profile and provide more effective support to meet those future needs.

The project

The evaluation will use data from SSAFA’s Armed Forces Casework Service to build a better understanding of beneficiary needs, casework services, and the collaborative partnerships that underpin them. SSAFA delivers the service in partnership with other military charities, benevolent funds and other organisations, allowing for funding to be pooled and ensuring that those who seek support receive the right help. Data from this collaborative service offers a unique window into the needs and collaborative response to, the Armed Forces community.

It will also collect and analyse demographic data from Census 2021/22 and the Ministry of Defence to build evidence that is beneficial for the whole sector.

Semi-structured qualitative interviews will be conducted with beneficiaries to understand the personal impact of casework support, and with casework staff and volunteers, to help identify which aspects of the service deliver the greatest impact.

The findings will examine risks and opportunities relating to the casework service: recommending mitigations to risks and analysing the change readiness and resilience of the casework service.

The project will run for 30 months.

Julie McCarthy, Director of Welfare Operations at SSAFA The Armed Forces Charity said,

“The military charity sector, supported by colleagues across numerous civilian grant making organisations, distributes millions of pounds in financial support to the Armed Forces Community every year.  SSAFA are very proud to play a pivotal role in that and this grant from FiMT will enable us to show the true impact of that collaborative working on both individuals but also for society as a whole.”

Dr Steve Rolfe, Senior Lecturer in Social Policy at the University of Stirling said,

“The Armed Forces community is becoming more diverse and the needs of those who require support are changing over time. Understanding the ways in which SSAFA’s casework service can address these needs and enhance quality of life for different members of the Armed Forces community is vital to ensure that support is delivered efficiently and effectively. This research will provide evidence of impact which should be of value across the Armed Forces Charity sector and beyond.”

Michelle Alston, Chief Executive of Forces in Mind Trust said,

“Whilst most of the Armed Forces community transition successfully there are some who need specific support and understanding often provided through casework. This project is an opportunity to better understand the changing nature and needs of the Armed Forces community. It will enable services to be tailored to provide the most impact and encourage a system-wide approach to tackling future needs.”