If you serve in the Army, Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Air Force, or work for the Ministry of Defence, a range of financial help is available to support you and your family. As we navigate the current financial climate, it is more important than ever to explore the benefits and concessions on hand to assist you and your circumstances. Having said that, it is difficult to know where to start, and which mod benefits specifically apply to you.

As a starting point, the government supports people serving in the armed forces and their dependents, as well as veterans, with a host of UK benefits that may or may not be relevant to you. These include Universal Credit, Child Benefit, Statutory Sick Pay, Armed Forces Independence Payment, Personal Independence Payment, Sure Start Maternity Grant, Jobseekers Allowance, and Tax Credits. If you know your income, living costs, and savings and investments, you can use the online benefit calculator to check which benefits you can access.

For those serving in the armed forced abroad, or veterans living overseas, you can still claim some UK benefits such as Maternity Allowance, Child Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance, and Jobseekers Allowance (in some European Union countries only). You may be able to get contributions or a tax-free relief payment for your council tax if you are serving abroad in the armed forces. Mod benefits are based on the number of days served overseas, with payments being issued at the end of this period.

If you are currently serving in the armed forces, the range of mod benefits also include help with school fees and childcare costs. You may be able to claim an allowance towards boarding school fees, or pay for tax and national insurance-free childcare vouchers to save on your childcare costs. If you register for the armed forces childcare voucher scheme, the cost of the voucher will be taken from your pay each month.

Other allowances for service personnel, their husbands, wives, and dependent children, includes the Forces Railcard. This offers a third off most rail fares throughout the UK. People serving in the armed forces, veterans and their family can also get discounts for many additional goods and services. The Defence Discount Service website provides details of the numerous mod benefits available via www.defencediscountservice.co.uk

In addition, the Ministry of Defence has launched a free, easy-to-use website for regular and reserve service personnel, MoD civilians, and their families, to help them find out about the support, allowances and benefits available to them at the touch of a button. Constantly updated with the latest information including pension benefits, it aims to bring simplicity to the world of military finances. This means every user will be able to understand their own entitlements and be able to make informed decisions about their options. To visit the Discover My Benefits website, go to https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk

To learn more about what your mod benefits and how to make a claim, speak to your unit’s HR Officer, or check out the online resources and organisations available to assist you in your hour of need.

For further advice and information on UK armed forces insurance products, please call Absolute Military on 01233 885410 or visit www.absolutemilitary.co.uk