The Prime Minister made the announcement at a statement in the House of Commons on the situation in Afghanistan.
The additional funding will be allocated to a range of projects that will increase capacity in mental health charities, improve veterans’ understanding of the support available and deliver enhanced social support. The Office for Veterans’ Affairs will allocate the funding over the coming months.
Funding will also enable veterans to continue helping the people of Afghanistan who have settled in the UK under the ARAP scheme, by providing social support, integration into local communities and help navigating life in the UK.
The Office for Veterans’ Affairs will commission charity provision of targeted and relevant support for Afghan refugees with military links and provide surge capacity to support transition to life in the UK.
The £5 million boost will also help increase the user friendliness and accessibility of services, better signposting veterans to the range of state and charitable services available to them. This will help to make mental health services even more accessible to the Afghanistan veteran cohort.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “In addition to the extra £3 million we have invested in mental health support through NHS England’s Op Courage, we are providing another £5 million to assist the military charities who do such magnificent work, with the aim of ensuring that no veteran’s request for help will go unanswered.”
Minister for Defence People and Veterans Leo Docherty said: “This targeted increase in funding to charities, both large and small, will allow those who served to receive a gold standard of care across the board.
“We are forever grateful to the serving personnel and veterans who aided the people of Afghanistan, and will ensure they get the support they need and deserve in the most accessible methods possible.”
If you would like to join our community and read more articles like this then please click here