Our Campaigning for the Armed Forces Community in 2022
The Royal British Legion has been a campaigning force since 1921. Just as we did in the aftermath of the First World War, we continue to speak up for those who have given service to our Armed Forces.
We’re celebrating the work RBL and our campaigners have done in 2022 to advocate for the Armed Forces community with national and devolved governments, in parliaments, and with local authorities across the country.
In 2022, we made significant progress:
- Visa Fees are now waived for Commonwealth service personnel who have served for over six years or have been medically discharged in response to our Stop the Service Charge campaign
- The publication of the 2021 Census gave us vital information about the veteran community for the first time, thanks to our Count Them In campaign
- The government commissioned a review of the treatment of LGBT Veterans under the ban on homosexuality in the Armed Forces
- We responded to increases in the cost of living facing the Armed Forces community to make sure that serving personnel, veterans and their families were heard
- We supported the launch of the legal duty on local authorities to consider the Armed Forces community when designing services
- We trained MPs staff on how to better support the personnel, veterans, and service families in their constituency
Stopping the Service Charge: Winning on visa fee waivers
The Royal British Legion and Poppyscotland’s Stop the Service Charge campaign achieved a major win in February 2022, when the government announced it had agreed with our call to waive the visa fees of Commonwealth service personnel who have served for at least six years or have been medically discharged.
The campaign, first launched in 2019, was supported by RBL members and MPs from all parties, as well as Bath and England rugby star Joe Cokanasiga.
Joe’s father Ilaitia, who is from Fiji, had served for 14 years in the British Army, including in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He faced fees of £2,389 to stay in the UK.
Following three years of campaigning, this change in policy will save Commonwealth veterans thousands of pounds in visa fees, recognising the special contribution they have made to the nation.
However, our campaign is not yet over, as family members of Service leavers must still pay significant fees to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK.
To secure the residency rights of a spouse and two children, Commonwealth personnel would have to find almost £7,500 to apply for their family to stay in the country they have collectively sacrificed a great deal to serve.
We believe that families are an integral part of the UK Armed Forces community and should not be forgotten. Families experience many of the stresses, strains and sacrifices of Service life as Personnel, accompanying them on postings and supporting them through deployments.
The Royal British Legion are therefore calling on the Government to do right by Commonwealth Armed Forces personnel and extend the fee waiver to their immediate family members.
Support our campaigns
Our campaigns are driven by our dedicated campaigners who help us to win over politicians and decision makers.
We value each and every voice that campaigns with us.
There are no special skills needed to join our campaigners, just your dedication to improving the lives of the Armed Forces Community.
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Succeeding with Count Them In
November 2022 saw the long awaited result of RBL and Poppyscotland’s successful Count Them In campaign to include a question on military service in the Census.
The publication of 2021 Census results revealed the number of Armed Forces veterans in England and Wales for the first time – all 1.85 million of them.
Members and campaigners from across the country helped this campaign to reach local councils, MPs, Ministers. This is the first time in the history of the Census that a question about HM Forces service has been included.
This new data will transform our understanding of the veteran population and enable service providers to deliver the best care and support for our Armed Forces community, where it is needed.
Within RBL, we are analysing this data and have for the first time been able to produced guidance on the location of new potential beneficiaries for our Admiral Nurses dementia support.
Recognising the service and sacrifice of LGBT veterans
In June, RBL and Poppyscotland warmly welcomed the UK Government’s launch of an Independent Review, chaired by Lord Etherton, to examining the experience of LGBT veterans affected by the ban on homosexuality in the Armed Forces that ran until 2000.
We worked with members and supporters affected by the ban to represent their experiences and the impact that the ban and its legacy has had on their lives.
RBL publicised the review and its work throughout our network to drive contributions from the Armed Forces community.
We also examined our own history and conduct, not shying away from where we know RBL has failed to support, respect, and speak up for LGBT+ members of the Veteran community in the past.
RBL submitted an extensive response to the Review, informed by the experiences of multiple veterans and RBL members. We stand ready to respond to the Review’s findings and recommendations in 2023.
Responding to cost of living increases
Following significant increases in living costs throughout 2021 and 2022, RBL worked quickly to ensure that key figures were informed of the impact of rising bills on many within the Armed Forces community.
RBL responded to Budgets and Treasury Statements throughout the year, and briefed MPs on the needs of serving personnel, veterans, and their families in the face of increasing costs.
We successfully advocated for the maintenance of the ‘Triple Lock’ on the State Pension and continued support to meet increased energy bills in the Autumn Statement.
We worked with MPs to promote RBL’s Cost of Living Grants on social media and newsletters, and were the most tweeted about charity amongst MPs as a result, reaching constituents who might need our support.
Monitoring the Covenant Duty
In November 2022, the Covenant Duty came into force, introducing a legal obligation on UK public bodies to consider principles of the Armed Forces Covenant when developing and delivering services.
The Covenant Duty applies to organisations delivering services in healthcare, education, and housing, including NHS Trusts and Councils. Throughout 2022, RBL informed relevant local authorities of the relationship between their work and the Covenant.
In 2023, our team will actively monitor the implementation of the Duty to ensure that key local services are better prepared to support serving personnel, veterans, and their families.
Training MP’s Caseworkers
Following the launch of the Royal British Legion MP Caseworker Guide, throughout 2022 our team delivered training sessions to MP’s staff on how they can deliver better support for the Armed Forces community in their constituencies.
Campaigning across the nations
In England
We’ve continued to push forward our manifestos in London and the West Midlands, both aimed at how the respective Mayor’s and local governments can improve the lives of the Armed Forces community in those regions.
In Summer 2022 we contacted over 2,300 newly elected or re-elected councillors across England to inform of them of RBL’s work and ask for their support for our community in their local areas
We responded to 21 public consultations, such as Kingston Upon Thames Council’s homelessness strategy and Kent County Council’s Carers strategy – drawing on our 2021 report into the needs of carers in the Armed Forces community.
In Scotland
Working with Poppyscotland, our supporters contacted candidates standing in the Scottish May local elections, asking them to sign the #PoppyPromise. 100 candidates made the pledge, with 64 elected at councils across Scotland.
The #PoppyPromise lays out 5 commitments councillors can undertake to better support our community in their local authority, including a commitment to listen to the voices of the Armed Forces community in the delivery of local services.
Following attendance at the Scottish National Party (SNP) Conference in 2021, Poppyscotland hosted a reception at the Scottish Conservative Conference in Aberdeen in March.
The event was opened by the Secretary of State for Scotland, Rt Hon. Alister Jack MP and allowed us to speak with MPs, Peers, MSPs, Councillors, and local election candidates about our work and needs of the Armed Forces community in Scotland.
In Wales
In Wales, RBL has a worked with the Welsh Government throughout the year, holding a seat on the Wales Expert Group as well as the Cross-Party Group on the Armed Forces and Cadets.
We have welcomed Welsh politicians and officials to events such as the Welsh Festival of Remembrance and Field of Remembrance.
We’ve continued to support the Armed Forces Liaison Officers (AFLO) network in Welsh councils while also attending Local Government Covenant Partnership and Health Board meetings to advocate for the Armed Forces community.
Welsh representatives also played a key role in helping to formulate RBL’s General Election Manifesto, with RBL hosting focus groups across Wales to discuss the issues facing veterans and their families.
Northern Ireland
RBL campaigns with politicians from across the UK and will continue to work with Northern Irish MPs through our activities in Westminster. In October, we hosted a well-attended reception for Northern and Northern Irish MPs.
We look forward to devolved government returning in Northern Ireland and will work constructively with the Executive when it returns.
Thank you
We are only able to succeed in our efforts with the help of partners, members and campaigners who write to their MPs, local councils and promote our messages in the community. Thank you for your support over the last year.
As we look forward to the rest of 2023 and the upcoming General Election, we’re producing a manifesto for the Armed Forces community.
We’re continuing to campaign on how military compensation is treated by the benefit system, and we’ll be promoting and analysing the results of the census as they are published.
To keep in touch with us, sign up to our campaigner network here. You can also email the team directly at publicaffairs@britishlegion.org.uk