SERVICE DETAILS
WHO WE HELP – OUR GRANTS FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES
We award Grants to people in financial need who are:
- Members and former members of the British Regular Army who have completed adult basic training
- Exceptionally, individuals who are medically discharged as a direct result of an injury sustained during basic training may also be supported
- Members and former members of the British Army Reserve or The Territorial Army (TA) who have completed one year’s satisfactory service
- Exceptionally, for a lesser period than one year’s satisfactory service if death, injury or distress arises from any action or incident whilst on military duty or the soldier had deployed on a designated operation
- Spouses / civil partners, widows, widowers, dependant child/children of those detailed above
WAYS WE CAN HELP
We offer assistance in a number of ways where there is a need and where all statutory funding has been exhausted. Below are examples of what we can help towards:
- Priority debt with written recommendation by a qualified debt advisor e.g. CAB, StepChange
- Essential household goods and repairs
- Funeral costs
- Essential family needs
- Elderly care
- Mobility – we may be able to help with mobility equipment and aids where the need is supported by a professional Occupational Therapist report and quote
- Applications for tuition fees for first degrees and vocational courses will be considered when the applicant has been disadvantaged by Service and/or the course can lead to gaining or retaining employment.
Requests for assistance towards a restricted number of counselling sessions may be considered after statutory sessions have been completed
All applications are means tested
Each application is considered on its own merits
WHAT WE CAN’T GIVE GRANTS FOR:
We cannot provide grants for medical, legal, immigration, visa or repatriation fees, non-priority debts, memorials or headstones
HOW TO APPLY
If you are a serving soldier or spouse/civil partner, widow, widower, parent/carer of a dependant child/children of a serving soldier contact your Unit Welfare Officer, Personnel Recovery Officer, Resettlement Officer, or the Army Welfare Service
If you are a veteran, spouse/civil partner, widow, widower, parent/carer of a dependant child/children of a veteran contact your local SSAFA office Find local branch | SSAFA or The Royal British Legion, call their helpline on 0808 802 8080. They’re open seven days a week, from 8am to 8pm
If you are in Scotland contact PoppyScotland, please see https://www.poppyscotland.org.uk/get-help/get-help-now.
The Army Benevolent Fund does not accept direct applications. Applications must be submitted through the Soldier’s Unit Welfare Officer or the Veteran’s Regimental or Corp Association via the relevant case working office detailed above.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
SSAFA, TRBL or PoppyScotland will assign you a caseworker who will arrange to meet with you, either virtually or face-to-face. They will assess your situation and, with your permission, prepare a written report
This report is sent to your Regimental / Corps Charity. If they are unable to fund the request in full, they will forward your case to us for consideration
If we are forwarded your case we will review it and collaborate with other military charities to ensure you receive appropriate support. We aim to make grant payments to the relevant caseworking organisation eg SSAFA, within 48 hours of receiving the case
We are unable to discuss the status of applications with individuals. Individuals should contact the relevant caseworker to discuss their application.
Both SSAFA and the Royal British Legion will need key information such as Service Number, Regiment, Service Dates, Income, Expenditure and details of any savings. It would be helpful, but not essential, to have all or some of this information to hand when you contact them
Key Contacts...
Please see https://armybenevolentfund.org/need-our-help/individual-grants.
