Guidance

Armed forces access to Jobcentre Plus services

Updated 29 June 2023

DWP and the Armed Forces Covenant

As part of the Armed Forces Covenant, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has initiatives that help current and former armed forces personnel and your families access Jobcentre Plus services.

This includes having an armed forces champion in every Jobcentre Plus district who ensures that we provide support that meets your needs.

This page explains the role of the armed forces champion and the way you and your families can access our services.

Armed forces champion

The armed forces champion provides Jobcentre Plus support to:

• veterans
• service leavers
• serving personnel within their resettlement period
• spouses and civil partners of serving and ex-service personnel

Champions maintain close contact with Jobcentre Plus staff, who make the champion aware of armed forces issues and raise issues with them if you request it. Champions are not always based in the jobcentre.

The role of the armed forces champion is to:

• support members of the armed forces community and build staff capability to provide Armed Forces support within their Jobcentre Plus district; they personally handle some claims, supporting you into work, and can help resolve complex cases
• develop and maintain joint working arrangements between Jobcentre Plus and the armed forces community in their Jobcentre Plus district
• provide information to Jobcentre Plus staff about specific armed forces initiatives
• provide an understanding of the issues the forces community face that can be a barrier to employment
• be the first point of contact for Jobcentre Plus staff the Service Charities and Single Service organisations and services to advise on queries regarding individual armed forces cases – including serving personnel, your families and veterans
• focus specifically on the Jobcentre Plus support available to veterans, service leavers, those within a resettlement period and spouses and civil partners of serving and ex-service personnel – where necessary and appropriate, the champions will work to put support in place
• support Jobcentre Plus district staff to identify and work with local employers and partners, maximising opportunities for the armed forces community

They also work to raise the profile of the service community in terms of the skills, knowledge and experience they can offer.

The champion will tailor their activities to match the needs of the armed forces community in their district. This means some activities may differ from district to district. The role and responsibilities of the champion remain the same regardless of location.

Each of the services has appointed points of contacts who form a link with the relevant champions within their area.

You can tell your champion about an issue through your:

• Universal Credit online account
• Jobcentre Plus Work Coach
• local Jobcentre Plus office

Employment and benefits initiatives

Jobcentre Plus and the Work and Health Programme

You have access to the full range of Jobcentre Plus services. As well as this, early voluntary entry to the Work and Health Programme is available if you would benefit from intensive, tailored employment support to find work.

This early voluntary entry is available to:

• veterans
• reservists
• partners of veterans (where appropriate)
• partners of serving members (where appropriate)

Jobcentre Plus (JCP) work coaches discuss the programme with you and if they think you’re eligible and suitable, they’ll refer you to the programme at the most appropriate time in your claim.

Benefit cap exemption

You’re not affected by the benefit cap if you get:

• Armed Forces Compensation Scheme Guaranteed Income Payments
• War Pension Scheme payments
• Armed Forces Independence Payment

Read more about the benefit cap.

Information for spouses and civil partners of serving and ex-service personnel

National Insurance credits

You may be able to get National Insurance credits if you’re married to or the civil partner of a member of armed forces personnel and you go with them on an overseas posting.

You can still apply if you’re now widowed, divorced or have had your civil partnership dissolved. You must have been married or in a civil partnership at the time of the posting.

Credits can help to fill gaps in your National Insurance record and can help towards you qualifying for certain benefits including the State Pension.

There are 2 classes of National Insurance credits available to apply for:

• class 1 credits for postings on or after 6 April 2010

• class 3 credits for postings on or after 6 April 1975

Read National Insurance credits for partners of armed forces personnel overseas for more information on how to apply for National Insurance credits.

Spouse and partner employment opportunities

The government is committed to providing appropriate support to the spouses or partners of service personnel. You have access to the full range of Jobcentre Plus services. You can also be considered for early access to the Work and Health Programme.

If you leave employment to follow your serving partner

If you need to claim Universal Credit and/or ‘new style’ Jobseeker’s Allowance, Jobcentre Plus will consider each case on an individual basis using the relevant legislation and the information you’ve provided.

Maternity Allowance for spouses overseas

If you’re accompanying a service partner overseas, you will not be able claim Maternity Allowance. Depending on where you live, you can either:

• claim maternity benefits in the country where you now live

• apply for a Ministry of Defence ex-gratia payment instead of Maternity Allowance

Ministry of Defence ex-gratia payment

You can apply for this by applying for Maternity Allowance in the normal way, ensuring section 8 of the form (where it asks if the individual is a member of a service family abroad) is completed.

When completed, the form should be sent to the International Pension Centre (IPC) to the address stated on the form (in part 13). The IPC will look at the case and take the appropriate action.

Access to benefits for foreign and Commonwealth personnel and their families

Dependants of serving foreign and Commonwealth personnel (including Gurkhas) who are injured – including on operations or during training for operations – may not be able to access benefits like Carer’s Allowance if they do not qualify to settle in the UK.

Special provisions exist. This means if a foreign or Commonwealth member of the armed forces is medically discharged as a result of an injury during their period of service, the requirement for them to have completed 4 years of service in order to qualify for settlement would normally be waived. However, all other criteria would have to be met.

If appropriate, any dependants would have their application for settlement granted in line with that of the serving person.

Wounded, injured and sickness benefits

Access to benefits for medically discharged personnel

Employment and Support Allowance, and Universal Credit

When a service medical board decides a severely disabled person can no longer be employed in the armed forces and should be discharged, the individual could make a claim for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and/or Universal Credit (UC) depending on their circumstances.

The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) determines whether a person who is claiming ESA and/or UC has limited capability for work (LCW) and, if they do, whether or not they also have limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA).

As part of the WCA process any service medical board evidence – including a F Med 23 if the claimant has one – will be fully considered, alongside any other available evidence. If the WCA provider can make a recommendation to DWP on the individuals’ capability for work by way of the available paper evidence alone, they will do so. If they cannot, then the individual will be asked to attend a face-to-face, telephone or video assessment.

You can find out more about the WCA here:

Universal Credit: Health conditions and disability guide - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Employment and Support Allowance (ESA): Your ESA claim - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

More information on GOV.UK

Find more information about Jobcentre Plus services at www.gov.uk/browse/working and www.gov.uk/browse/benefits.