The Armed Forces Covenant Annual Report 2014

Abstract: This is the third Annual Report, and as with previous year’s it seeks to set out the key achievements from this year and the areas where we know there is still more to be done. It is encouraging that the value of the Covenant has continued to grow, with the focus on how we used the principles of the Covenant to deliver lasting change for the Armed Forces Community. One of the best examples of this was the recent announcement by the Prime Minister that with effect from 1 April 2015, widows, widowers and surviving civil partners will now retain their pensions for life, including if they re-marry. A major strand of work this year has been on how we extend the reach of the Covenant beyond Central Government. Every Local Authority in Great Britain has now signed a Community Covenant. This is a major achievement, with every Local Authority now committed to supporting the Armed Forces Communities in their area. The Royal British Legion has produced two Community Covenant Best Practice Guides and our challenge for next year is to work much more closely with Local Authorities to ensure that best practice is promulgated and to tackle those issues, such as access to social housing and school places for children of Service families, that need an extra push. This will not be easy, and will need to take account of the pressures already facing Local Authorities by ensuring activity is properly prioritised and coordinated. We will discuss these proposals with Local Authorities at a series of regional events in 2015.