Lewin of Greenwich Naval History & Forum

All service leavers will receive a new ID card to mark their time in the armed forces. (Published 18 February 2019)

A new ID card for armed forces veterans, which will help them access specialist support and services, has started to be issued to service leavers.

From today, any personnel who have left the military since December 2018 will automatically be given one of the new ID cards, which will allow them to maintain a tangible link to their career in the forces.

The cards allow veterans to easily verify their service to the NHS, their local authority, and charities, helping them to access support and services where needed.

All other veterans will be able to apply for a new ID card by the end of this year, to mark their time in the armed forces.

Full information here

Jim

Well better late than never eh Jim , and lets hope that they build on this initial step .and thanks for posting this

I recall the problems friends had at Duxford who had recently left the RAF and were left feeling helpless and marooned and unable to cope , many turning to drink and or getting separated as they now found out just how much the services provided behind the scenes that was all just expected to continue , so these cards will at least flag up that they are what they claim they are , and cut through the lengthy waiting process which the civil service / MOD had inadvertently created .

How will we find out how to apply for the veterans ID card?

How will we find out how to apply for the ID ?

I had a quick Google for it and could only find mention that an announcement will be made late in 2019, so they are running out of time

Jim

I applied erly this year and was told that they would be starting on veterans shortly ....... there is a website with contact number ...... I will endeavour to retrace it and publish it on here ........ watch this space

Yer tiz ne ansomes .

Google VETERANS UK .
email ..... veterans-uk@mod.gov.uk
Tel No> 0808 1914 218 [Mon - Fri 0800-1700]

I registered by phone back in June . They said phone again towards the end of the year .... so I will phone next week.

UPDATE

It would appear that issue to Veterans has been delayed due to Brexit and the General Election. Whilst service leavers will be issued them on discharge, we veterans may have to wait until the end of this year now:-

NEW VETERANS I.D. CARD
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The new MOD veterans ID card is being rolled out to new service leavers.

A new ID card for all British armed forces veterans has started to be issued by the Ministry of Defence in a bid to help service leavers access specialist support and services.

What is the veterans ID card and who will receive one?

The new veterans being given to new service leavers to mark their time in the armed forces.

According to the MOD, any personnel who have left the military since December 2018 have automatically been given one of the new ID cards, which will allow them to maintain a tangible link to their career in the forces.
Although delayed by Brexit, and an election, other veterans who left the armed forces before December 2018 will be able to apply for a new ID card by the end of 2020.

What are the benefits of a veterans ID card?

The new ID card allows veterans in the UK to easily verify their service to the NHS, their local authority, official Armed Forces & Veterans Breakfast Clubs and charities, helping them to access support and services where needed. Veterans UK - which manages pensions and compensation payments for the armed forces - will also benefit from the change.

The new ID cards will ensure the process of validating service is as straightforward as possible, so that ex-forces personnel can access support for issues related to their service quickly.

Former Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood said: “We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the ex-forces community, and we are working hard to ensure they receive the support they deserve. These new cards celebrate the great commitment and dedication of those who have served this country, and I hope they can provide a further link to ex-personnel and the incredible community around them.”

What else is available to service leavers?

The new veterans ID card is one of three currently available to service leavers. Personnel leaving the military are also able to keep their military IDs, known as the MOD Form 90, allowing them to maintain a connection with their service. Additionally, veterans can access a range of discounts through the Defence Discount Service, the official MOD-endorsed service for the armed forces.

Any veteran in need of support can also contact the Veterans’ Gateway, a 24 hour service which signposts ex-forces personnel to the support available to them, including housing and financial advice, career guidance, and medical care from the NHS.

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR UPDATES

If anyone spots further updates please post them on this thread - Thank You.

I can't see a problem issuing the cards to ALL Veterans now, they already issue them to personnel leaving the services, so what is the difference between that and issuing them to all Veterans. Unless, of course, they are waiting for our numbers to deplete to save cost

Jim

From the Gov.UK site:



Last reviewed 11 March 2021

The Veterans’ recognition scheme has a 2 phase rollout. Phase 1 is complete; with Service leavers receiving a recognition card as part of the discharge process.

Phase 2 is to extend the scheme to existing veterans so that they can more quickly, easily and securely prove they served in the UK Armed Forces so they can access the services they need.

We had hoped to have this in place by the end of 2019, but due to the requirement to future-proof the scheme so that veterans can access a wider range of benefits, the need to safeguard against fraudulent use means, this process will take longer.

Information on how to apply will be released closer to the launch date.