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Advice for the Armed Forces, UK Veterans, their partners and dependants

Benefits and money advice service

Delivered as part of The Royal British Legion’s New windowPoppy Advice scheme, the award winning Benefits and Money Advice Service is a partnership between The Royal British Legion, the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund, Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Northern Ireland. The service provides specialist benefits and money advice to serving and former members of the Armed Forces and their dependants. Advice is free, confidential and impartial. The service has helped over 18,394 people to date providing clients a total of £57.6 million pounds in financial outcomes.Royal British Legion logo      Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund logo

Trained benefits and money advisers have helped clients make an average financial gain of £3,131 each and can assist with:

  • assessing/reviewing current benefits claims
  • ensuring all benefits to which the client is entitled are being claimed
  • advising on options available to deal with different types of debt
  • providing representation/advocacy for clients such as speaking to creditors on the client’s behalf
  • accessing other schemes provided by The Royal British Legion, such as their New windowPoppy Funds grant scheme to assist with financial hardship
  • appealing decisions in relation to benefits claims, repossession orders, etc

There are currently 43 benefits and money advisers based in Citizens Advice Bureaux across England and Wales, three based in Citizens Advice Bureaux in Northern Ireland and seven based at Royal British Legion headquarters and regional offices across England and Wales. You can find your nearest adviser in a number of ways:

  • search for your nearest CAB at www.citizensadvice.org.uk/getadvice
  • call Legionline: 08457 725 725, 9am – 4pm, Monday to Friday
  • New windowwww.britishlegion.org.uk for a list of the locations and contact details of Benefits and Money Advice caseworkers
  • call the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund Helpline: 0800 169 2942
  • see your Yellow Pages for details of your local Citizens Advice Bureau.
RAF crew

Online advice on specific issues relating to Armed Forces veterans and their families is also available:

How the service helped Claire*

Claire previously served in the Army, but was now an unemployed single mother with two young children. Claire fell into serious rent arrears and was threatened with eviction. On top of this Claire also had council tax, gas, electric and water arrears and a benefit overpayment, totalling more than £15,000.

As a result of housing arrears Claire was refused help by her housing authority to relocate in order to be able to attend university and retrain as a nurse.

As a result of her debt situation Claire was suffering from long term depression.

After speaking to a Benefits and Money Advice Adviser, The Royal British Legion and Army Regiment Fund cleared Claire’s benefit overpayment, council tax and rent arrears. This allowed Claire to be housed near to her university almost immediately. The Legion supported Claire with removal costs and provided her with essential household items and some equipment for her children.

Claire is now almost debt-free, leaving her able to study and pursue another career and support herself. Claire said that the advice and financial support she has received has changed her life and that she feels her children’s prospects for a secure future have greatly improved.

*Name has been changed to protect anonymity.

Institute of Money Advisers best partnership 2010 logo        Third Sector excellence award 2009 logo