Financial Assistance for Serving/Ex-Serving Personnel

tartanterra

Are you in financial difficulty?

It is a little known fact that the Royal British Legion give out £Millions of pounds each year as financial relief to members of the Serving and ex-Serving community. I am currently Serving, and also an RBL caseworker responsible for recommending where this money is spent, and I am often shocked to find out that many people are unaware of the help available.
If you or someone you know is having problems, contact the RBL (website www.britishlegion.org.uk) (telephone 020 3207 2100)
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE DESTITUTE TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR HELP! Just in genuine difficulty.
The RBL also offer such things as financial assistance, breaks for those who are bereaved, adventure holidays for kids whose parent(s) is deployed and assistance to personnel attempting to claim war pensions.
Please spread the word!

tartanterra

Further to my earlier post, I am posting a list of all those personnel who are eligible for financial assistance from the RBL. Please see below:

1. Beneficiaries

Beneficiaries are people who satisfy any of the following:

a) Any man or woman who is currently serving as a Regular, Reserve or Auxiliary Member of the Royal Navy, Army or Royal Air Force and who is aged 16 years or over and has received 7 days’ pay;

b) Any man or woman who has previously received 7 days’ pay as a Regular, Reserve or Auxiliary member of the Royal Navy, Army or Royal Air Force, and is aged 16 years or over;

c) Any man or woman who served with the Mercantile Marine afloat in hostile waters or as a full time member of Allied Civil Police Forces or who is entitled to the campaign medal issued to the Royal Navy, Army or Royal Air Force to those giving them direct support or under their command;

d) Any Member of Voluntary Aid Societies who has served full time and in uniform in direct support of the United Kingdom Armed Forces;

e) Any British subject (whether by birth or otherwise) who has served at least 7 days in: the Forces of an Allied Nation and received 7 days’ pay from that nation or a resistance organisation of an Allied nation during hostilities in which the United Kingdom Armed Forces were engaged; or

f) Any man who served in the Home Guard for at least 6 months, or in a Bomb and Mine Disposal Unit for at least 3 months or was awarded the Defence Medal in respect of service in the Home Guard or in a Bomb and Mine Disposal Unit.

2. Dependants

2.1 Children

A child is any child of a beneficiary or spouse who is:

a) Under Compulsory School Age (CSA);
b) Under the age of 25 and in full-time education; or
c) Requires ongoing care for a physical or mental impairment.

2.2 Spouses and partners

A spouse or partner is anyone who:

a) Is married to a beneficiary;
b) Has entered into a civil partnership with a beneficiary;
c) Is currently cohabitating with a beneficiary and has been for more than 12 months;
d) Has previously been married to a beneficiary and has not entered into a new marriage, civil partnership or cohabitating relationship;
e) Has previously been in a civil partnership with a beneficiary and has not entered into a new marriage, civil partnership or cohabitating relationship;
f) Has previously been in a cohabitating relationship with a beneficiary for more than 12 months, which ended not more than 12 months earlier and has not entered into a new marriage, civil partnership or cohabitating relationship;
g) Was married to a beneficiary who died, and has not entered into or is no longer in, a new marriage, civil partnership or cohabitating relationship;
h) Was in a civil partnership with a beneficiary who died, and has not entered into or is no longer in, a new marriage, civil partnership or cohabitating relationship; or
i) Was in a cohabitating relationship with a beneficiary for 24 months or more when the beneficiary died, and has not entered into a new marriage, civil partnership or cohabitating relationship.

2.3 Other dependants

Other dependants are people who are:

a) Financially dependent on a beneficiary;
b) Cohabitating with a beneficiary; and
c) Related to a beneficiary by way of birth, marriage or civil partnership.
d) Or, entirely dependent on a beneficiary due to a physical or mental impairment.

3. Carers

Carers are those who:

a) Have an ongoing caring responsibility for a beneficiary.

bonsibabe

It is a great thing that you have posted this as there are many people out there that do not know they could be eligible for help.

But it also needs to be said that this only applies to the Royal British Legion in England and not the RBL Scotland. I only know this because myself and my OH have applied for help and we have had to go thru SSAFA and we have basically been told that the RBLS do not give financial aid. This was after we were told that the RBL would help. And purely because we live in Scotland. Apparently if we lived in England we would be eligible for help! This was told to us when OH was still serving overseas

Don't want to put a dampener on your post, but just thought that everyone should know that there is a difference between the RBL and the RBL Scotland.

tartanterra

bonsibabe wrote: »

It is a great thing that you have posted this as there are many people out there that do not know they could be eligible for help.

But it also needs to be said that this only applies to the Royal British Legion in England and not the RBL Scotland. I only know this because myself and my OH have applied for help and we have had to go thru SSAFA and we have basically been told that the RBLS do not give financial aid. This was after we were told that the RBL would help. And purely because we live in Scotland. Apparently if we lived in England we would be eligible for help! This was told to us when OH was still serving overseas

Don't want to put a dampener on your post, but just thought that everyone should know that there is a difference between the RBL and the RBL Scotland.

Thanks for pointing that out.
Do be aware though, that SSAFA and RBL do much of the same work, often working alongside each other, and even use the same forms although there are differences in some cases, such as how money is raised. Therefore, using SSAFA instead of the RBL shouldn't disadvantage you in any way.

tartanterra

Again!, further to my last post, SSAFA can be contacted:
WEB: www.ssafa.org.uk
TEL: 0845 1300 975

Their qualifying criteria as posted on their website:

You and your immediate dependants are eligible for our help if:

• You are currently serving
• You have served one paid day’s service in any of our Armed Forces
• You have completed one year’s service in the Reserve Forces, one day’s service on operations or you have done National Service
• You served one paid day in the Mercantile Marine including the Korea, Suez, Falklands and Gulf operations
• You have completed one year’s service in the Association’s Nursing and Welfare Service
• As a UK citizen, you have received one day’s pay whilst stationed overseas as part of the Armed Forces and for a period ending no more than six months after your return to the UK

If you think that you’re not eligible for our help, you can still call us. We are happy to advise you and can give you guidance on who else you could approach

Should have thought to post this originally!!!!!

Hope someone finds this useful.

Regards,
TARTANTERRA

tartanterra

Further to my earlier posts, and also related to another thread, there is another source of advice for RN & RM / Ex RN & RM who find themselves in financial difficulties.

THE WHITE ENSIGN ASSOCIATION

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Our mission, as a Naval charity, is to inform and provide guidance to all Service and ex-Service personnel of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, and their Reserves, on:[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]personal administration and finance
and
resettlement and employment[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]on an unbiased, confidential and free basis.[/FONT]

Website is:

http://www.whiteensign.co.uk/

Regards,

TARTANTERRA:D

tartanterra

BUMP!

A timely reminder to everyone, especially at this time of year.

Alias_Omega

Good post tartanterra,

Ill make it a sticky.

Regards,

Alias

em2104

hi we tried getting financialhelp through safa and they wouldnt help us! yet they paid off a loan for some people we know just because they have a daughter with epilepsy! they claim nearly a £1000in benefits a month off the goverment and can afford 2 run 2cars!
we can barely affordto live!we have 1son and another on the way! my husband cannot see his son from a previous marriage because we cannot afford the travelling costs aswell as the hefty csa we have to pay! all we askes was for them2helppay some off a loan off so we could free some money up!they say they dont like paying peoples debt !is this right?!id there anyone who can help?

tartanterra

em2104 wrote: »

hi we tried getting financialhelp through safa and they wouldnt help us! yet they paid off a loan for some people we know just because they have a daughter with epilepsy! they claim nearly a £1000in benefits a month off the goverment and can afford 2 run 2cars!
we can barely affordto live!we have 1son and another on the way! my husband cannot see his son from a previous marriage because we cannot afford the travelling costs aswell as the hefty csa we have to pay! all we askes was for them2helppay some off a loan off so we could free some money up!they say they dont like paying peoples debt !is this right?!id there anyone who can help?

As I know nothing about your case, I obviously cannot comment on your particular circumstances, but there is nothing to prevent you contacting SSAFA to ask the reason that you were declined financial assistance.

When you were assessed for assistance, the caseworker would more than likely have used a "Form A" to record your ingoings and outgoings, priority debts, your personal circumstances, proof of Service etc. and would also need to actually see proof of your outgoings, income and debts.
This information is compiled into a report which is then used to ascertain your "basis of need".

All charities should to be able to demonstrate that the funds they distribute are being used correctly, and also in line with the aims of all Service charities, that those funds are targeted at those with the greatest genuine need.

In your case, it has been deemed that you were not elegible for help. This does not mean that you cannot approach another charity and apply again, although you should be aware that most of these Service organisations work side by side using the same forms to assess you, and in some cases, using the same caseworker.

On a final note, I can assure you that SSAFA would not have given financial assistance to someone "just because they have a daughter with epilepsy", as you stated.
As with all cases, a genuine "need" would have to be proven before any assistance was given.

Regards,

TARTANTERRA

em2104

thanks for your reply...justannoyed and upset when people lie and make things seem worse! if your honest and genuine in this life you never seem to get anywhere! will try again but not holding my breath.
thankyoux