Support and community networks 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.

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:

• Recovery Recovery Centres - for those who are currently serving.
• Recovery services at the Battle Back Centre - for currently serving and ex-service personnel with physical or mental health conditions.
• Bravo 22 - for currently serving and ex-service personnel.

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.

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:

• Our grants team and the financial support programmes that they offer here on the RBL website.
• How our grants team could help get you through a temporary crisis here on our website.
• Mobility aids and equipment grants: for those who are finding it difficult to get around here on our website.
• Grants that can support household adaptations to help you live independently at home here on the RBL website.
• Funding to support studying abroad here on the RBL website.
• Employment and education grants from the Women's Section 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:

• Housing options for serving personnel here on the RBL website.
• Service accommodation and relationship breakdown here on the RBL website.
• Social housing, also known as council housing or housing association here on our website.
• What it means to be legally homeless and how to access support on the RBL Knowledge Base website.
• Applying as homeless before you are discharged on the RBL Knowledge Base website.
• Care homes for ex-service personnel on the RBL Knowledge Base website

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.

• Read about lifestyle changes which can help with the menopause and perimenopause on the NHS website.
• Find out about different treatment types for the menopause and perimenopause on the NHS website.

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.

Read more about Op COURAGE here on the RBL website.

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.

• Find out more about where you can access help as a member of the Armed Forces community on GOV.UK.
• Visit the Government MoneyHelper website for more information about how to protect yourself from financial abuse.

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

• Learn more about getting help after sexual violence on the nidirect website.
• Find out how to access support from Nexus, Northern Ireland's leading organisation supporting individuals impacted by sexual abuse and abusive relationships on their website.

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.

• Read about support for those who experienced sexual violence and/or abuse as a child on the mygov.scot website.
• Get help from Rape Crisis Scotland on their website.

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.

• Find out more about the support that is available to you and your family as you transition into veteran life, here on the RBL website.
• Read about how the Royal British Legion supported Poppy when she was discharged and struggled to adapt to life outside the military here on our website.

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:

• Finding a job as a service leaver or ex-service person here on the RBL website.
• Employment support for those who are living with a disability or medical condition on the RBL Knowledge Base website.
• Becoming self-employed, on the RBL Knowledge Base website.
• Re-entering the workplace after a gap in your employment here on the RBL website.

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.

England - Citizens Advice

Find out more about dealing with disputes and unusual situations in the civilian workplace.

Northern Ireland - Nidirect

Learn about employment, training and careers on the nidirect website.

Scotland - Citizens Advice

Read about dealing with disputes and difficult situations in civilian employment.

Wales

Read about your rights and safety in the civilian workplace on the GOV.WALES website.

Learn about dealing with disputes and difficult situations in civilian employment on the Citizens Advice website.

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:

• Op RESTORE - the veterans physical health and wellbeing service.
• Op COURAGE - The NHS veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing service.
• Op FORTITUDE - the support pathway for ex-service people experiencing homelessness.

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.

Read more about reporting a change in circumstances on the GOV.UK website.

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.

• Learn more about health and safety at work whilst you are pregnant on the GOV.UK website.
• Find out more about pregnancy and maternity discrimination on the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) website.
• Read about rights whilst you're pregnant at work on the Citizens Advice Scotland website.
• Find out about your rights whilst you are on maternity leave on the Citizens Advice Scotland website.
• Learn about pregnancy and maternity rights in the workplace on the nidirect website.

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.

• Learn more about when you can start SLP and ShPP on GOV.UK.
• Find out more about booking blocks of leave on GOV.UK.
• Read about applying for leave and pay on GOV.UK.

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:

• Birth parents on GOV.UK.
• Adopters and parents using a surrogate on GOV.UK.

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.

Read more about the Veterans railcard, for ex-service personnel and Disabled Persons Railcards, here on the RBL website.

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 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:

• Support services for those who are in prison on the WIP website.
• The WIP Women's Centres on their website.

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]