Policy Issues

Each year around 15,000 people leave the UK Armed Forces. The vast majority of Service leavers and their families make a successful transition into civilian life, with their lives having been enormously enriched by their time in service. Even ‘successful’ transitions though are not necessarily ‘easy’, and some ex-Service personnel require additional support during their transition journey. Evidence shows that barriers to accessing appropriate support remain, whether that is because of quality and availability of support or because of issues relating to the stigma of taking the initial step to seek help.

For the minority of Service leavers who have a difficult transition, there are significant costs as a consequence, both to the individual and their family, and to the public purse. Research evidence based on economic modelling estimated the total cost of poor transitions from the United Kingdom’s Armed Forces to be around £110million in 20205.

Government policy is to support those who have served in the UK Armed Forces, and their families, to transition smoothly back into civilian life and contribute fully to a society that understands and values what they have done and what they have to offer. This is the vision set out in the Strategy for Our Veterans published by the Ministry of Defence in 2018. The Principles that inform the Strategy are:

  • Veterans are first and foremost civilians and continue to be of benefit to wider society
  • Veterans are encouraged and enabled to maximise their potential as civilians
  • Veterans are able to access support that meets their needs when necessary through public and voluntary sectors

There is some way to go before this vision is fully realised, and we know that at present the transition journey continues to be especially difficult for some Service leavers.

Policy Position

We believe that the chances of making a successful transition to civilian life would be increased if all Service leavers and their families are able to prepare well and have access to appropriate support when and where they need it. This requires a more personalised approach to the transition process so that there is earlier and fuller engagement with the challenges and opportunities likely to arise during the move from military to civilian life.

We support the Armed Forces Covenant which states that no ex-Service person or their spouse or partner should be disadvantaged as result of service, and that special consideration is appropriate in some cases7. This means that in some circumstances the unique experiences and needs of ex-Service personnel and their families will require the provision of a specialist service. The key issue is that there must be sufficient expertise, awareness and understanding of the ex-Forces community, and that this must be taken into account in the design and delivery of service provision.

We also support the Strategy for Our Veterans, and its vision that ‘those who have served in the UK Armed Forces, and their families, transition smoothly back into civilian life and contribute fully to a society that understands and values what they have done and what they have to offer’. Our view is that the ex-Service community would enjoy wider recognition in society if public perceptions and understanding of the Armed Forces were more closely aligned to the realities of service in the 21st century.

Successful and sustainable transition requires both wider understanding of the issues faced by Service leavers and their families, and improved coordination and collaboration in the delivery of support services within the military charity sector, and between the public and charity sectors.

 

Click here to read FiMT’s Policy Statement on Transition