New welfare package for Service families

The new measures have been announced as the first annual report into delivery against the Service Personnel Command Paper entitled 'The Nation's Commitment to the Armed Forces' has been published.

This Command Paper was published last year specifically to ensure that Service families, whether based in the UK or abroad, were no longer disadvantaged in obtaining jobs, or accessing public services such as childcare, education, and healthcare.

The annual report details some of the progress that has been made with regard to over 40 commitments to improve the level of support to the Armed Forces Community in key areas like compensation, healthcare, and accommodation.

The new measures announced today by Ms Harman and Mr Ainsworth include an Employment and Skills Task Force, Armed Forces Champions for Jobcentre Plus, and a further review of childcare and school place allocation for Service families.

Ms Harman said:

"The families of our Service personnel have always held things together at home, and their task has become even more demanding with the forces fighting away in Afghanistan.

"Service wives must have the chance to get training, work and childcare. But, as I have seen first hand from my visits to military bases, that is hard if they have to move regularly and are located on a base miles away from parents and in-laws.

"Our new initiatives will make sure that Service families have the same access to childcare and school places as the civilian population; that employers recognise that moving from place to place is a part of Service life, not a lack of commitment to jobs; and that we look at transport for remote bases so families can access training, work and childcare."

Mr Ainsworth said:

"The demands that service in the Armed Forces place on our people is unique. They are required to follow orders whatever the danger, and to deploy wherever and whenever they are needed.

"The impact of this is considerable, particularly on their families. Last year we introduced 40 measures to ensure that our Forces and their families were not disadvantaged in accessing public services.

"Today's announcement builds on this. I am determined that the Government will honour its responsibility towards our Armed Forces. We need to make sure that military life does not make it harder to access jobs, healthcare, school places, childcare and social housing."

Harriet Harman, Defence Ministers and colleagues from across Government, including the Department for Work and Pensions, Communities and Local Government, the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the Department for Transport and the Treasury, have worked to produce the measures announced today.

The package of measures is:

• The establishment of an Employment and Skills Task Force, chaired by Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, to support Service families' access to the same employment, further education and training opportunities as the civilian community.
• An Armed Forces Champion for each Jobcentre Plus district who will act as first point of contact for Service families and keep up-to-date with local activities to support Service families.
• A further Government review of how well local authority plans on childcare reflect the needs of Service families, and what good practice examples and problems there are around transport, and consider if additional guidance is necessary.
• The Government will review the guidance given to local authorities on school allocations policy to ensure it reflects the needs of Service families.
• The Government will publish a report on this work early next year, focusing on practical steps which improve the lives of Service family members.