Support for Serving and ex Service Women

On this page you will find information about:

Support for those who are currently serving.
Guidance and support for those who are transitioning or an ex-service person.
Accessing support from Armed Forces and civilian charities.

Women have played a significant role during times of conflict for hundreds of years and continue to do so in HM Armed Forces today.

Whether you are currently serving, transitioning into Veteran life, or already living as an ex-service person, you are entitled to be part of the community and to access support programmes.

Read about community networks for women who have or are currently serving here on the RBL website.

Office for Veterans Affairs: Increasing support for ex-service women

In 2023, the UK Government announced two plans to increase their support of ex-service women.

The initiatives will try to identify areas where ex-service women may be missing out on support, improvements to services to meet their specific needs, and areas where further support may be given.

As part of the increasing investment in servicewomen's welfare, funding has been granted to develop the support for ex-service women who have suffered from sexual trauma in the military as part of the Women Veterans' Strategy.

This investment leads on from projects such as the Atherton report in 2021 and further reports which are still being researched and created for future progress.

Read the Atherton report: 'Protecting those who protect us: Women in the Armed Forces from Recruitment to Civilian Life' on the Parliament website.

Female Veterans Transformation Programme - improving support for female ex-service personnel

The Female Veterans Transformation Programme is working to improve services provided for female ex-service personnel. They are starting their work by completing research and gathering real life experiences of female veterans through their survey.

Visit the Female Veterans Transformation Programme website.

Finding support

Support from the Royal British Legion

From time to time, we can all need some help or support in life. The Royal British Legion (RBL) is here to support the Armed Forces community through our financial, emotional, and physical support services.

The Royal British Legion (RBL) is here to help members of the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, ex-service personnel, and their families. And we're not going anywhere.

Whether you served during conflict or peacetime, in a front line role or as part of supporting operations, we're here to help.

Learn about how the Royal British Legion could help you, or another member of the Armed Forces community on the RBL Knowledge Base website.

Find out how the Royal British Legion supported Naomi when she transitioned into veteran life here on the RBL website.

Recovery support - Recovery centres, Battle Back and Bravo 22

As someone who is or has served in HM Armed Forces there may come times where you could benefit from physical, mental, or social support.

The programmes listed below are opportunities for currently serving and ex-service personnel to take part in sporting, creative activities and meet people with similar experiences to them.

Visit the RBL Knowledge Base website to find out more about opportunities from:

Financial support

In times of crisis, or if you need help at home, we may be able to help with a grant.

Through our grants programmes, the Royal British Legion provides financial support to the Armed Forces community.

Find out more about:

To find out more about the support the RBL could offer you, contact us via

Telephone: 0808 802 8080
Telephone overseas: +44 (0)20 3376 8080
Calls are free from UK landlines and main mobile networks
Email: [email protected]

Open our online chat function

More support available

Bereavement

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is a challenging time which will impact your life for many years to come. It is important to remember that you are not alone.

We have created some handy resources to support you and your family when bereaved.

Read about bereavement support and guidance here on the RBL website.

Housing

As a member of the Armed Forces community, the uncertainty of housing, accommodation and frequent moves may cause you to feel overwhelmed and stressed.

We have created online resources which can help you navigate government and service guidance to help you find a home.

Learn more about:

Menopause and Perimenopause

Anyone who has periods can experience the menopause or perimenopause. The menopause is when your periods stop due to lower hormone levels whilst perimenopause is when you are experiencing the symptoms of menopause, but your periods have not stopped.

The menopause and perimenopause usually affect people between the ages of 45 and 55 but it can begin at any age.

The menopause and perimenopause can affect your mental and physical health with symptoms such as:

anxiety
mood swings
low self-esteem
brain fog
hot flushes
sleeping problems
irregular periods
dry and itchy skin
muscle and joint pains
headaches and migraines.

Experiencing the menopause can have a large impact on your daily life, including your relationships, social, family and work life.

Learn more about the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause on the NHS website.

There are lifestyle changes and treatments which can help relieve the symptoms of Menopause.

Mental Health and wellbeing

People in the Armed Forces community face mental health issues for a variety of reasons. Both combat-related and non-combat-related experiences can affect you or someone you know. There is support available regardless of what is impacting you.

Even if you are still serving within the Armed Forces, it is okay to seek support for mental wellbeing. Many personnel continue to serve after they seek support.

If your mental health begins to impact you or a loved ones' wellbeing, you may benefit from external support. You can access support from in-service programmes or external organisations.

Find out more about accessing support for your mental health from in-service and independent organisations on the GOV.UK website.

Learn about mental health, wellbeing and how to find the right support for you on the RBL Knowledge Base website.

Mental health and wellbeing support from the RBL

The Royal British Legion (RBL) is here for people in the Armed Forces community experiencing poor mental health. We might be able to support you or your loved one by:

Providing emotional support, encouragement and reassurance as you receive help from specialist services.
Attending medical appointments with you.
Giving you information on the options available to you from a range of organisations, and helping you to access their services.

RBL is unable to provide counselling support.

Op COURAGE

The free NHS service provides mental health support to serving personnel who are due to leave the military, reservists, veterans, and family members. Through Op COURAGE you could obtain a diagnosis and access the treatment you may need.

Combat Stress

As the UK's leading charity for veterans' mental health, Combat Stress provides clinical treatment and support for ex-service personnel and their families.

Find out more about Combat Stress and their free 24-hour helpline on the RBL Knowledge Base website.

Salute Her - a single sex safe zone for women

Salute Her provides guidance on mental well-being for women who are or have served in HM Armed Forces, or at sea. The charity specialises in supporting those with lived experience of sexual assault and associated sexual trauma.

Learn more about Salute Her and the support that the charity could provide you with on their website.

Domestic and financial abuse

In an emergency always call 999 in the UK.

Call 112 in the EU or check locally for other overseas countries.

Leave this page

Domestic and financial abuse are crimes that should be reported to the police. Domestic abuse can take many forms and there is specific support and guidance for the Armed Forces community.

The Royal British Legion (RBL) can offer support to those who are serving and are experiencing domestic violence. If you telephone the RBL and ask for support and you will be allocated to a case officer from one of our welfare teams. There they will explain the different options of support that are available to you.

Telephone: 0808 802 8080

Get in touch

Visit the National Domestic Abuse Helpline website to chat online or:

Telephone: 08082 000 247

The service is available for free, in confidence, 24 hours a day.

Fill in a contact form to request a call back from the Helpline team on the National Domestic Abuse Helpline website.

If you are a British Sign Language user you can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline using their BSL Helpline.

The service is available 10am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Visit the Respect - Men's Advice line website to chat online or:

Telephone: 08082 000 247

The service is available 10am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Free from landlines and mobile phones within the UK. Your call will not appear on itemised bills. You can also call free from BT pay phones.

Email: [email protected]

The service is available 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Support from the Royal British Legion

The Royal British Legion can offer support to those who are serving and are experiencing domestic violence. They can phone the RBL and ask for support and they will be allocated to a case officer in one of the welfare teams. There they will explain the different options of support.

Get in touch

Find out more about the Royal British Legion's crisis support or:

Telephone: 0808 802 8080

Telephone overseas (including Republic of Ireland): +44 (0)20 3376 8080

Calls are free from UK landlines and main mobile networks

Email: [email protected]

Our team is available from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.

Sexual violence and abuse

If you are in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police

No matter when it happened to you, it is never too late to get support for sexual violence or abuse. There is confidential and independent support available to help you.

Learn more about what sexual violence and abuse are on GOV.UK.

If you are currently serving with HM Armed Forces

Learn more about reporting a sexual offense whilst serving with HM Armed Forces and what to expect during an investigation.

Civilian support in England and Wales

Find out more about accessing confidential support on the Sexual Abuse Support website.

Civilian support in Northern Ireland

Civilian support in Scotland

If you have experienced sexual violence and/or abuse in the last seven days and do not wish to inform the police you can self-refer to a Sexual Assault Response Coordination Service (SARCS).

Find out more about SARCS and how they could support you on the NHS Inform website.

Specific support for currently serving personnel

Support from the services

If you need support as a person who is currently serving with HM Armed Forces, full-time or Reserves, you can access help using the services below.

Get in touch

Royal Navy Family and Personnel Support (RN FPS):

Telephone: 08001 456 088 or 02392 728 777
Email: [email protected]

Army Welfare Service:

Telephone: 01904 882 053 or 94777 30 53 or 9380 287 77
Email: [email protected]

Royal Air Force Welfare:

Details are provided locally via the Unit Personal Support (PS) staff.

Forces Helpline: a free and confidential helpline for serving personnel, veterans, and their families.

Telephone: 08002 606 767

Your health and wellbeing - for all service personnel regardless of gender

Servicewomen's Health Handbook

The Servicewomen's Health Handbook discusses topics of biological health including:

body basics including breasts, lower female anatomy and lower body health concerns
urinary health
menstrual health
the menopause
contraception and sexual health
becoming a parent
health screening
consent and confidentiality, and
health considerations

The terms women and female are used interchangeably throughout this handbook without any intention to exclude individuals who do not identify as women but may experience some of the topics discussed.

Read the Servicewomen's Handbook on GOV.UK.

Menopause and perimenopause

If you are experiencing the menopause or perimenopause whilst serving in HM Armed Forces there is support available to you.

The Armed Forces Menopause policy can be accessed through MODNet.

Find out more about the menopause on the RAF Families Federation website.

Maternity leave, pay and your rights as a pregnant service person

If you have a baby, use a surrogate to have a baby, or adopt a child you may be entitled to support.

Armed Forces Occupational Maternity Scheme (AFOMS)

All service personnel who give birth are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave under the AFOMS. Service personnel are not entitled under law to Statutory Maternity Leave (SML) but may meet eligibility criteria to be able to qualify.

Your circumstances	Leave entitlement	Pay entitlement
Those with a years continuous service who intend to work for a minimum of 12 months following maternity leave.	52 weeks maternity leave	Full pay for the first 26 weeks of ordinary maternity leave and 38 weeks of Statutory Pay. The first 26 weeks of pay may be enhanced to the service person's full rate of pay.
Surrogate mothers who enter into an arrangement to have a surrogate pregnancy	52 weeks maternity leave	You may also be entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay and Occupational Pay.

If you have given birth, you will be screened from deployment in the UK or overseas for at least six months after. However, you can volunteer to be exempt from this scheme.

The services also endeavour not to deploy both serving parents at the same time, where this does not compromise operational capability.

Although those who serve in the Armed Forces are exempt from flexible working provisions in the UK employment legislation there are schemes in place to support the work-life balance of all employees.

Learn more about the Armed Forces Occupational Maternity Schemes and flexible working provisions.

Those who are on Flexible Service (part-time working)

If you are on Flexible Service and proceed on maternity, adoption or shared parental leave you will have the option to either suspend or end your Flexible Service arrangement.

Find out more about AFOMS, flexible working provisions and flexible service in JSP 760, Chapter 24 on GOV.UK.

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)

As a service person, you may qualify for SMP if you:

have served for a continuous period of at least 26 weeks into the Qualifying Week, including one day's service in the Qualifying Week, and
meet the Earnings Rule, which means that you must have had average weekly earnings not less than the Lower Earnings Limit in the eight weeks up to and including the last payday immediately before the end of the Qualifying week.

Additionally, you must:

Still be pregnant at the 11th week before the expected week of childbirth (EWC) or have given birth by this time.
Notify your Commanding Officer that you are pregnant, giving at least 28 days' notice if the date that you expect your maternity leave to start.
Produce medical confirmation of your pregnancy which gives the EWC. This could be a maternity certificate MATB1 or other statement from a medical practitioner or registered midwife by the 15th week before EWC.

The 39 weeks in which SMP is paid is known as the Maternity Pay Period (MPP).

The amount of SMP that you could receive depends on your rate of pay. If you meet the eligibility criteria you are entitled to receive SMP whether or not you intend to return to duty following your pregnancy.

Your rights as a pregnant Service person

Your rights as a pregnant service person are protected under The Equality Act 2010. Under this Act employers are prohibited from discriminating, victimising, or harassing you because of your sex, pregnancy, or maternity, which are protected characteristics.

Armed Forces Occupational Adoption Leave Scheme (AFOALS)

Service personnel who qualify, regardless of their length of service, are entitled to take up to 52 weeks of adoption leave.

This information is relevant to full time service personnel, reservists, and volunteer forces.

To be eligible for AFOALS for an overseas adoption you must:

be newly matched to a child to be placed to you by an adoption agency recognised in the UK
have notified the agency that you agree that the child will be placed with you and agree with the date of the placement, and
notify your Commanding Officer/Line Manager (CO/LM) in writing of when you wish to take Adoption Leave no more than seven days after you have notified that you have been matched with a child and provide the required documentary evidence using the Application for Adoption Leave Form, JPA Form R008.

To be eligible for AFOALS Adoption Leave for UK adoption you must:

be the child's adopter (this is the person who will adopt or has adopted the child or, in a case where the child will be or has been adopted by two people jointly, whichever of the joint adopters who has chosen to take adoption leave in respect of the child)
have received official notification from the relevant UK authority confirming the central authority has, or is prepared to, issue a certificate confirming that you are eligible to adopt and have been assessed and approved as being a suitable adoptive parent, and
provide your CO/LM with the correct notification.

Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP)

SAP is a weekly payment which you can receive for up to 39 weeks from the date that Ordinary Adoption Leave (OAL) starts. If you are adopting as part of a couple, you can choose which adoptive parent will receive SAP, they are known as the primary adopter, and which will receive paid paternity leave.

Service Personnel are not entitled under law to Statutory Adoption Leave, however, provision for Adoption Leave equating to statutory arrangements is made by the AFOALS.

The amount of SAP you could receive will depend on your rate of pay.

If you do not meet the eligibility criteria because of a break in service, you will be entitled to 26 weeks' full pay under AFOALS if you have been out of service for five years or less, and your previous service amounts to a year's continuous service.

If you are a Reservist with more than one employer, you may be able to receive SAP from both the MOD and your other employer.

Find out more about AFOALS and SAP in JSP 760, Chapter 25 on GOV.UK.

Housing

As a person who is currently in service there are multiple options for where you can live. We have created handy guides to help you work out what your options are.

Childcare support

As someone who is currently serving or an ex-service person you may benefit from support with childcare.

The guide below contains information for those who are currently serving in HM Armed Forces and ex-service, with support from civilian programmes.

Find out more about childcare and your finances here on the RBL website.

Reduced travel Costs

As a member of the Regular Armed Forces or Volunteer Reserves, you may be eligible for an HM Forces Railcard. Excluding minimum fare and restrictions, the railcard could save you up to a third on rail travel across England, Scotland, and Wales.

Spouses of service personnel may also meet the eligibility requirements.

Find out more about the HM Forces Railcard here on the RBL website.

Your finances during service

As a member of HM Armed Forces, full-time or Reserves, there is advice and guidance available to help you manage your finances during your service.

Those who are transitioning and already living as an ex-service person

We understand that as a person who has served in HM Armed Forces, full-time or reserves, it can take a time to feel comfortable adjusting to civilian routines and lifestyles. We have created resources to support your transition into Veteran life and beyond.

Employment

During your transition and life as a veteran, finding a job can be challenging. To help you navigate civilian employment, we have created guides to support your career journey.

Learn more about:

Careers transition partnership

If you are in your last two years of service, or were discharged within the last two years, you may be entitled to full resettlement support from the Careers Transition Partnership (CTP).

Find out more about the CTP and how they could support your employment transition on their website.

Military Women Programme from the Forces Employment Charity

The Military Women Programme supports ex-service personnel to gain meaningful employment in a range of sectors and positions, including self-employment.

The charity aims to:

increase the engagement of women in the veterans' community, and
equip women with job-seeking skills and knowledge to access Forces-friendly employers.

Learn more about the Military Women Programme and how it could support you on the Forces Employment Charity website.

Reporting problems in the civilian workplace

Working in civilian employment you may come across situations or disputes that make your daily life difficult.

This may be something you find hard to approach as an ex-service person but there is guidance available to help you to resolve workplace conflicts.

Support for those who have served from the UK government

To support all ex-service personnel the UK government has partnered with various organisations to provide specialised support.

Find out more about the Op programmes here on the RBL website:

Maternity and shared parental leave in civilian employment

In civilian employment, if you have a baby, use a surrogate to have a baby, adopt a child, or are fostering a child that you are planning to adopt, you are entitled to support.

You may be eligible for more than is listed below if your employer has a company maternity scheme, but they cannot offer you less than the statutory amount.

The benefit tool below can help you check if you can receive:

Statutory Maternity Leave or Pay
Statutory Paternity Leave or Pay, and
Maternity Allowance.

Check my eligibility on GOV.UK.

Statutory Maternity Leave (SML) - England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

SML is made up of 52 weeks' leave. You do not have to take the 52 weeks, but you must take two weeks' leave after your baby is born, or four weeks' leave if you work in a factory.

The 52 weeks' leave is made up of:

Ordinary Maternity Leave, which is the first 26 weeks, and
Additional Maternity Leave which is the last 26 weeks.

You may be entitled to take some of your leave as Shared Parental Leave.

You are not eligible for SML if you have a child through surrogacy, but you could receive Statutory Adoption Leave and Pay instead.

Eligibility

To qualify for Statutory Maternity Leave, you must:

be an employee, and
give your employer the correct notice.

It does not matter how long you have been with an employer, how many hours you work or how much you get paid.

Making a claim

At least 15 weeks before your due date you must:

tell your employer when the baby is due, and
when you plan to start your maternity leave.

Your employer can ask for this in writing and must write back to you within 28 days to confirm your start and end dates.

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) - England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales

SMP is paid for up to 39 weeks either weekly or monthly, depending on how your wages are paid. SMP usually starts when you begin your maternity leave, or it will start automatically if you are off work for a pregnancy-related illness in the four weeks leading up to the expected week of childbirth.

You will receive 90% of your average weekly pay for the first six weeks and £172.98, or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) for the next 33 weeks. National insurance and tax are deducted from your SMP.

If you take Shared Parental Leave you will receive Statutory Parental Pay (ShPP) which is £172.48 or 90% of your weekly earnings (whichever is lower).

Eligibility

To qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay you must:

earn on average at least £123 a week
give your employer the correct notice and proof that you are pregnant, and
have worked for your employer for at least 26 weeks continuously into the 'qualifying week' which is the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth.

Making a claim

You will need to inform your employer to begin the process and give them at least 28 days' notice of:

when you want to stop work to have a baby, and
the day you want your SMP to start.

Your employer can ask for this in writing.

Additionally, you must provide your employer with proof of pregnancy within 21 days of your SMP start date. This can be:

a letter from your doctor or midwife, or
your MATB1 certificate. Doctors and midwives will give you this no more than 20 weeks before the due date.

If your employer decides that you are not eligible, they must give you form SMP1 within seven days of making the decision to explain why.

Early births or if you lose the baby

You can still receive Statutory Maternity leave and Statutory Maternity Pay if your baby is born early, is stillborn after your 24th week of pregnancy or dies after being born.

Maternity Allowance - England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

If you are self-employed, have recently stopped working, take part in unpaid work for the business of your spouse or civil partner, or are unemployed but cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay, you may be able to get Maternity Allowance.

Maternity Allowance is paid every two to four weeks.

What you could receive will depend on your circumstances and contributions such as:

if you are employed or have recently stopped working
you are self employed
if you have paid less than 13 weeks of contributions, or
if you do paid work for your spouse or civil partner's business.

Learn more about how your circumstances could affect your claim for Maternity Allowance on GOV.UK.

Claiming Maternity Allowance may affect other benefit payments that you receive.

Making a Claim

You can make a claim for Maternity Allowance after you have been pregnant for 26 weeks and payments can start 11 weeks before your baby is due.

To make a claim you will need to provide certain information with your claim form:

Proof of income - such as original payslips or a Certificate of Small Earnings Exemption

Proof of a due date and birth - you will need to provide this even if the baby has already been born. This could be a letter from your doctor or midwife, MATB1 certificate, a birth certificate.

Information about your employment in the 66 weeks before your baby is due.

You may also need to provide an SMP1 form if you were refused Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) by your employer, or more information about your partner's self-employed business and the unpaid work you do for them (if you are applying for Maternity Allowance for up to 14 weeks).

To make a claim for Maternity Allowance you will need to complete and return a form by post, or online.

Application form - England, Scotland and Wales on GOV.UK

Application form - Northern Ireland on nidirect

Find out more about applying for Maternity Allowance in Northern Ireland on the nidirect website.

If you cannot print the form, you can order one to be delivered to you.

Order a Maternity Allowance form to be delivered on the GOV.UK website.

If you would like a copy of the form in braille, large print, or audio CD contact Jobcentre Plus

Get in touch with Jobcentre Plus.

You should receive a decision within 20 working days. If you disagree with the decision, you can challenge it by asking for a Mandatory Reconsideration.

Find out more about challenging a Maternity Allowance decision on GOV.UK.

If your circumstances change whilst you are receiving Maternity Allowance, you will need to report it as soon as possible.

Your rights as a pregnant person in the workplace - England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

As a pregnant person, there are rights to protect you in the workplace. You cannot be discriminated against because of your pregnancy or maternity leave.

After you have informed your employer of your pregnancy, they must take into account your safety and the safety of your unborn child.

Shared Parental Leave and Pay - England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

This scheme allows parents to share leave and pay between them in the first year after the child is born or placed with them.

You may be able to access Shared Parental Leave (SPL) or Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) if you are:

having a baby
using a surrogate to have a baby
adopting a child, or
fostering a child who you are planning to adopt.

You may be able to share up to 50 weeks leave and 37 weeks pay between you depending on how much maternity or adoption leave and pay you or your partner can take.

SPL or ShPP can only start once the child has been born or placed with your family for adoption.

Eligibility

To get SPL and ShPP, you and your partner will need to:

take less than the 52 weeks of maternity or adoption leave and use the rest as SPL, or
take less than the 39 weeks of maternity or adoption pay (or Maternity Allowance) and use the rest as ShPP.

The eligibility criteria are different for birth parents, adoptive parents and parents using a surrogate.

Read the eligibility criteria for:

Find out about eligibility criteria for all types of parents in Northern Ireland on the nidirect website.

Extra benefits - England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

If you are expecting or adopting a child, you may be eligible for additional benefits to support you.

If you are more than ten weeks pregnant, or have a child under four years old, you may be eligible for Healthy Start Vouchers, Best Start Foods Programme, or a Sure Start Maternity Grant.

Find out more about Healthy Start, Best Start and Sure Start Maternity Grants on the RBL Knowledge Base website.

Reduced travel costs

As someone who has served in HM Armed Forces, you may be eligible for reduced rail fares with a Veterans Railcard.

With a Veterans Railcard you could save up to a third on fares. Additionally, you can add a named adult companion to your railcard who would also be eligible for discounted travel, with up to four children.

If you are living with a disability or condition, you may be eligible for a Disabled Persons railcard.

Registering with a civilian GP and Dentist

Once you have left service your healthcare will no longer be provided by HM Armed Forces. Your healthcare will be taken over by the NHS, but it is important to ensure that your records are transferred as soon as possible.

Please note that it can take some time to obtain your medical records when transitioning. Applying as soon as possible will help you to obtain your records quicker.

Read support and guidance about registering with a GP or Dentist in the UK, here on our website.

Op COMMUNITY

If you feel that you may need help when applying to a GP or dentist the team at Op COMMUNITY may be able to help you.

The scheme provides advice and support to the Armed Forces community including family members and carers of those who are serving or have served in the Armed Forces.

The team could support you in a variety of ways including:

Working and liaising with other organisations on your behalf to facilitate safe and continuous care.
Ensuring that treatment remains continuous, including maintaining your place on an NHS waiting list.
Providing advice and guidance on how to use the NHS and navigate its systems.
Finding veteran-friendly GP practices in your local area.
Advice on other NHS Armed Forces services including Op RESTORE and Op COURAGE.
Supported referrals to specialist charities and organisations.

Get in touch

Find out more about OP COMMUNITY on the Defence Medical Welfare Service website or:

Email: [email protected]

The team is available from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Support from Armed Forces charities

As a member of the Armed Forces Community, you may be entitled to support from a variety of organisations. Military charities understand the experiences of those who serve or have served, and may be able to provide more specific support.

Find out more about military charities which may be able to support you on the COSBEO website.

Salute Her UK - a single sex safe zone for women - for currently serving, ex-service personnel and women at sea

The charity Salute Her UK advocates, empowers and educates women in the Armed Forces, women veterans, and women at sea with lived experience of sexual assault and associated trauma. The charity provides a physical and psychological safe zone where women can access support in a single sex environment.

Salute Her UK offer a range of support and guidance with topics including:

building self-esteem and confidence
healthy living and wellbeing
legal support
physical health, including a Pilates group
military young carers
domestic violence
military sexual trauma, and
suicide prevention.

Find out more about the support available from Salute Her UK on their website.

Get in touch

Visit the Salute Her UK website to use their online contact form.

Fighting with Pride

Fighting with pride supports those who are currently serving, ex-service personnel and the families of members of the LGBTQ+ Armed Forces community. The charity is particularly focused on supporting those who were left behind by service charities due to the ban of LGBTQ+ service personnel prior to 2000.

The charity hosts a range of national and regional support including:

community support groups
drop in sessions, and
events including creating a presence at Pride and Remembrance marches in the UK.

Additionally, the charity works in partnership with Age UK to deliver Op STERLING - a telephone-based support programme for older LGBTQ+ veterans, service personnel and their families.

Find out more about Op STERLING on the Fighting With Pride website.

Get in touch

Visit the Fighting With Pride website to use their online contact form.

The Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC)

The WRAC supports women who are currently serving or have served in HM Armed Forces. The charity aims to provide support and fellowship to members of the community, allowing them to remain connected, supported and valued.

The support available includes:

events and activities across the UK,
a benevolent fund to support those who joined prior to 1992, and
the BuddyBuddy scheme.

Get in touch

Visit the WRAC Association website to find out more or:

Telephone: 03004 001 992

Leave a message if you are calling out of office hours or there is no answer.

Email: [email protected]

SSAFA - sheltered housing for women and children

SSAFA's Stepping Stone Housing provides a safe place to stay for women in the Armed Forces community. The housing is a female-only space for women to stay for as long as they need to get back on their feet.

Find out more about SSAFA's Stepping Stone Housing and how to apply.

Support from The Ripple Pond

The Ripple Pond is a charity that supports adult family members of people who are physically or psychologically affected by their time in the Armed Forces. They believe in chosen family, and will support anyone over the age of 18 including partners, siblings, parents, friends and carers.

The Ripple Pond supports people through:

Specialist one to one sessions
Peer support groups, including 14 different regional chats
Talks and events
Employment Support
Signposting

Complete their online application form to become a member and receive support from The Ripple Pond.

Learn more about The Ripple Pond on their website.

Support from civilian charities

The civilian charities listed below are led by women to support women in the UK. There are more organisations that may be able to help you.

Find more women-lead charities on the Women's Resource Centre website.

National Domestic Abuse Helpline

Domestic and financial abuse are crimes and should be reported to the police. Domestic abuse can take many forms and there is specific support and guidance for the Armed Forces community.

The National Domestic Abuse Helpline could support you in many ways including:

empowering you to understand your rights options
making decisions about the future
increasing your safety
help you to find a refugee place or access specialist services in your local area, and
learning how to protect yourself against tech abuse.

Get in touch

Visit the National Domestic Abuse Helpline website to chat online or:

Telephone: 08082 000 247

The service is available for free, in confidence, 24 hours a day, from a team of highly trained female advisers.

Fill in a contact form to request a call back from the Helpline team on the National Domestic Abuse Helpline website.

If you are a British Sign Language user you can contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline using their BSL Helpline.

The service is available 10am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Women In Prison

The national charity, Women in prison (WIP) supports women who are or have been affected by the criminal justice system, including the families of.

The charity supports women who are currently in prison and through their Women's Centres, providing a safe and non-judgemental space where women can access the support they need.

Find out more about:

The charity has support and guidance for those who have been or are affected by the criminal justice system, and those who are supporting a loved one who is affected.

Read support and guidance on the Women In Prison website.

Get in touch

Visit the Women in Prison website or:

Telephone: 02073 596 674
Email: [email protected]

Drop-in sessions for the Armed Forces community

There are many drop-in sessions run for people in the community focusing on many aspects of health and wellbeing in the community. These drop-in sessions can also provide spaces for those with shared experiences to come together, find support and build community networks.