Citizens Advice North Somerset
We, the undersigned, commit to honour the Armed Forces Covenant and support the Armed Forces Community. We recognise the value Serving Personnel, both Regular and Reservists, Veterans and military families contribute to our business and our country.
The Armed Forces Covenant
An enduring covenant between the people of the United Kingdom, Her Majesty’s Government and all those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces of the Crown and their families
The first duty of Government is the defence of the realm. Our Armed Forces fulfil that responsibility on behalf of the Government, sacrificing some civilian freedoms, facing danger and, sometimes, suffering serious injury or death as a result of their duty. Families also play a vital role in supporting the operational effectiveness of our Armed Forces. In return, the whole nation has a moral obligation to the members of the Naval Service, the Army and the Royal Air Force, together with their families. They deserve our respect and support, and fair treatment.
Those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.
This obligation involves the whole of society: it includes voluntary and charitable bodies, private organisations, and the actions of individuals in supporting the Armed Forces. Recognising those who have performed military duty unites the country and demonstrates the value of their contribution. This has no greater expression than in upholding this Covenant.
Section 1: Principles of the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant
1.1 We Citizens Advice North Somerset will endeavour in our business dealings to uphold the key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, which are:
- no member of the Armed Forces Community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen;
- and in some circumstances that special treatment may be appropriate especially for the injured or bereaved.
Section 2: Demonstrating our commitment
2.1 Citizens Advice North Somerset recognises the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to our business. We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, by pledging to the following:
- Armed Forces Friendly
- UK Service Veterans And Leavers
- UK Service Spouses And Partners
- UK Reservists
- Armed Forces Charities
We also pledge the following:
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Actively signpost to specialist Armed Forces employment programmes and partner organisations (for example, local councils, Jobcentre Plus Armed Forces Champions, and veteran-specific charities).
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Advise members of the Armed Forces Community about benefits linked to employment, including Universal Credit and others.
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Where appropriate, offer priority or fast-tracked appointments for service personnel approaching discharge.
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Publicly recognise the organisation’s commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant through local communications, including the website, social media and office materials.
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Work with local Armed Forces networks, councils, and veteran support groups to promote Citizens Advice services to the Armed Forces Community.
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Provide clear information on how members of the Armed Forces Community can identify themselves when accessing advice (on a voluntary basis) to enable appropriate support.
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Participate, where capacity allows, in local Armed Forces Covenant events or forums to strengthen partnership working.
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Provide advice to help veterans and families navigate NHS systems, including complaints processes.
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Actively signpost to specialist Armed Forces health services, including veteran mental health services and charities offering wellbeing support.
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Offer targeted housing advice to serving personnel, veterans and families, recognising the impact of postings, discharge, and relationship breakdown on housing stability.
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Support Armed Forces households to understand their housing rights, including access to social housing, homelessness duties and local connection rules.
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Provide advice on private rented sector issues, including deposits, tenancy rights and evictions, which may disproportionately affect mobile service families.
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Commit to ensuring members of the Armed Forces Community receive fair access to advice on debt, benefits, family and legal issues, without disadvantage arising from service.
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Recognise the impact of service life on financial resilience, including issues such as delayed benefits claims, debt following discharge, or compensation claims.
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Encourage a culture of respect and understanding for the Armed Forces Community across the organisation.
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Review policies and service delivery periodically to ensure they align with the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant and local needs.
2.2 We will publicise these commitments through our literature and/or on our website, setting out how we will seek to honour them and inviting feedback from the Service community and our customers on how we are doing.