FOREWORD FOREWORD BY AIR VICE-MARSHAL ROSS PATERSON OBE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SERVICE PERSONNEL AND VETERANS AGENCY
I
t is a great pleasure to be invited to contribute a foreword to Envoy magazine. Some of you may know me from my previous postings over nearly twenty-nine years in the Royal Air Force and
I have previously had close links with the Families Federation and also HIVE at both unit and at HQ policy level. I thus thought it might be helpful to use this chance to tell SPVA’s story and to explain a little more about what we do.
I took charge of SPVA last autumn and have been staggered by the sheer scale of the support being provided by my team to around 910,000 serving and retired personnel and the 4.8 million strong Veterans Community.
Aside from making payments to 365,000 Armed Forces pensioners every month, we also provide financial support for those disabled or bereaved through service under the War Pension Scheme (WPS) and (since 6 April 2005) the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. If the worst happens, payments to those left behind are made under both WPS and AFCS, including regular pensions to former spouses and (for AFCS) partners.
Just because someone has left the Armed Forces, support from SPVA doesn’t stop there. On discharge, ex-Servicemen and women become members of the ever-growing Veterans Community. I know the term ‘veteran’ is not that popular with everyone but it describes somebody who has previously served in the Armed Forces. One benefit is that you can access a vast network of support or guidance which is all branded under the ‘Veterans-UK’ banner. The most obvious and easily accessible service is the free Veterans-UK Helpline – 0800 169 2277. The helpline provides information on all statutory benefits, health, training, employment and housing. Alternatively, you can visit our website
www.veterans-uk.info
As well as the helpline and website, SPVA has its own Veterans Welfare Service that provides one-to-one support across the UK and Republic of Ireland. Case workers are based in the community which enables them to reach veterans wherever they live. Each veteran’s need is unique but enquiries can range from help in completing claim forms, requests for financial assistance, enquiries with social services and referrals for treatment or home adaptations. Welfare managers work with local authorities and other bodies to ensure that veterans get help and support to resolve their problems.
We don’t just focus on those who have left the Services. We look after those who are serving. SPVA provides the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) HR Portal that allows all Service Personnel to carrying out routine administrative actions like applying for leave or changing bank details.
www.raf-ff.org.uk
The Joint Casualty & Compassionate Centre (JCCC) is based at Imjin Barracks near Gloucester (what was RAF Innsworth to most of us!) and is responsible for the administration of all casualty casework for the Armed Forces worldwide. The work is split into two areas. First, compassionate travel for
bringing a Service person back from an overseas location, for example, during a family emergency. Second, casualty notification, repatriation and family support for serious illness/ injury or death of a Service person, wherever and however that happens. Each year, JCCC receives around 89,000 calls from Service personnel and their families.
Recently, you may have seen stories in the media about our correspondence in relation to Death in Service. There were complaints about the tone and wording of some of our letters. This is an area where we think we can do better and we are already undertaking a review of all of SPVA’s correspondence. This piece of work is not inconsiderable as some several hundred different types of correspondence are sent out by SPVA – some of it computer-generated and with certain wording required by legislation.
I am pleased to say we have actively sought feedback and advice from valued organisations like the RAF Families Federation and ex-Service charities. Indeed, the Chairman, Dawn McCafferty, was among those who took part in a recent review of our correspondence and the feedback was immensely useful. It also provided us with an opportunity to hear how others see us and what they think of us as an organisation, so thank you.
Now, as the Armed Forces undergo significant changes and reductions under the Strategic and Security Defence Review (SDSR), we, too, are looking to reorganise to ensure that we can provide the support and services that the Armed Forces Community need now and in the future. Working alongside the Families Federation will be just one aspect of our approach to this as we all seek to do the very best that we can for our serving personnel and for their families.
Envoy Spring 2012 5
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