Armed forces veterans will benefit from extra support including extra mental health services thanks to a further £2.7 million funding.

[stu007]

Armed forces veterans will benefit from extra support including extra mental health services thanks to a further £2.7 million funding.

 

Quote

 --  Additional mental health services to be rolled out to veterans through Op COURAGE

 

 --  Support will be tailored to those dealing with complex mental or physical trauma or alcohol and substance misuse

 

--  Dedicated care co-ordinators will be appointed to reduce suicide rates

 

Armed forces veterans, including those who served in Afghanistan, will benefit from additional mental health support backed by £2.7 million for Op COURAGE – the Veterans’ Mental Health and Wellbeing Service.

 

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid has today (31 August) announced an expansion of services to support those experiencing complex mental and/or physical trauma, or alcohol and substance misuse.

 

Dedicated care co-ordinators will be appointed to act as a single point of contact to better support veterans with complex mental and physical trauma. They will help them to navigate the health and care system, consult with health and care professionals, with the ultimate aim of reducing suicide rates within the veteran community.

 

Veterans’ mental health services to receive £2.7 million boost - GOV.UK

WWW.GOV.UK

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Armed forces veterans will benefit from extra support including extra mental health services thanks to a further £2.7 million funding.

 

[stu007]

Will this boost in funding for Mental Health for all those Veterans which I am one be enough NO it is just a paper exercise to make the Government look good as if they are doing something for Veterans when is reality that amount of money may look good but it's a drop in the ocean for what is really needed.

 

I can say this as well as my own father who is a Veteran served his country is now is a care home and recently diagnosed with Vascular Dementia and I reached out for help via the Veterans Gateway it went well until it was passed to a different agency who were meant to call back and I did laugh as this same lot I had ask for help some years ago meant to call me back and didn't so dealt with it myself.

 

As for my Father yet again this Disabled Veteran myself had to deal with that as I expected no call from that promised agency.

 

So as a Disabled Veteran dear Government your funding does NOT go far enough and Veterans that have served there Country should NOT have to rely on Charities.

 

The Government seems to forget that Veterans are proud people and will just get on with it and for a Veteran to reach out to any charity for help is a very difficult thing to do.

 

Any other Veterans with stories on this issue please fell free to add to this as I could tell a horror story of taking on my Local Authority for 3 years on HB & CTB refused to it backfiring on the Local Authority and me winning my case with no help from all the different agencies at the time including the War Pensions Agency telling me I was wrong they were correct but didn't they have egg on there face when I WON and benefited all Veterans in my area.

 

I should never have been put through 3 years of hell and I do say hell with all agencies closing the door I am wrong they are correct to WIN my case and has anything from then till now changed NOP it is still the same with the usual paper exercise to make the Government in power look as if they are doing something for Veterans.

 

Here is a Question for Veterans during the Pandemic/COVID-19: (is relevant to this supposed funding)

 

As the Veterans Agency has all the contact detail of all Veterans claiming the different entitlements.

 

How many Veterans were contacted by the Veterans Agency during the Pandemic/COVID-19 to see if they were ok needed any help with anything/health and wellbeing check?

 

bet the answer is NONE (they have my full contact details and not a pep from them)

 

 

[lenny100]

as a disabled vet due to ptsd amongst other things the lack of care is a total disaster in my local NHS they had a single mental health nurse designated for vets, mental health, and he was doing a ok job but was just out of traning and was looking for a better paid job, as he was still on the bottom rung for the pay scale.

HE got it and personly informed each of his LADS  has he called us that he was going and when nhs trust had a replcment all his files with all the details would be handed over, that was 4 years ago and i still havent been contacted with the details of anybody now handeling my case, and if i ring them i get "the somebody will be in touch soon".

one of my local gp is ex military from the middle east and he phone about every 3 to 4 months just to ask how things are, but he is also due to retire haveing put it off due to covid.

had dealings with combat stress scotland untill the nhs scotland took over and pushed the 6 week program on them, so because i am unable to spend that amount of time away from home now, i was parked and forgoten about like sevral hundred others.

these plans are great for those who live in military base areas or the m25 as usual but those in the real northen england obove leeds and northen scotland the service is a best a statment on a website and at worst total discrimination.

i would love to here how you got the ctb and hb win as i myself tried for 2 years to get my benift increased due to the tacking part of my mod pension into considration as a private income pension so they take it off the entetiment,

 

Edited September 13, 2021 by lenny100

[stu007]

Hi 

 

I do see where you are coming from as the NHS just do not understand how Veterans/Ex Forces operate and deal with things totally different to the your normal civi.

 

IMO the biggest mistake the Government done in there wonderful cutbacks and the MOD allowed it was to get rid of the Military Hospitals.

 

As for my own experience with the NHS with my back injury due to service (18 years) I was made to feel like I was a total nut job until I blew up at them in the Pain Clinic informed my GP (who was ex forces) and he referred my to a different Pain Clinic and the treat there was totally different I was actually listened too after a couple of months referred for emergency MRI Scans the onto Orthopedic Specialist.

 

Outcome was saw Orthopedic Surgeon and was Diagnosed with Arachnoditis of the spine (basically all the nerve endings which are separate and surround the spine mine are joined together in one big clump) causing pain 24/7 due to the back injury with no surgical intervention that can be done as it is to dangerous.

 

As for how I won my HB & CTB fight ( bear in mind I was Medically Discharged and recevied a War Disablement Pension and my Army Pension which was classed as Attributable to Service so was titled a Service Attributable Pension and not taxable)

 

What the Council did with my Army Pension (Service Attributable Pension is classed it as an Occupation Pension therefore classed it as income and refused me the benefit of HB & CTB.

 

My fight was my Army Pension is not an Occupation Pension as I was Medically Discharged and it is classed as an Attributable Service Pension therefore is classed as the same as my War Disablement Pension which is exempt and not classed as income.

 

They fought me tooth and nail and everything they threw at me I had an answer for and the got that desperate they went to COSLA for advice.

 

I ended up having a meeting in the Council Board Room where they tried everything so they could walk out but it back fired on them and they ended up giving me a full apology, changed the councils policies, they had to look at every veteran on record for the same pension. and I had a considerable amount of money refunded (3 years worth plus compensation) and I will admit I was shocked when I got the cheque's at the amount

 

As for your situation it would depend on if you were Medically Discharged and the type of Army Pension you have.

 

The Private Pension you mention I assume this is not forces related so yes the Council would class the Private Pension as Income for HB & CTB sadly. (please correct me if I am wrong)

 

[lenny100]

i am ex RN medicaly discharge on jan 9 2001 on the afps 75 with a 35% disability on reasesment in 2010 due to me being unawere they messed up my discarge medical and forgot to add the main reason for my medical dischare of PTSD it up untill then meaining i was only rated at 16% , my local council DURHAM say the same as yours did the pesion from the mod is a occupation pension so is classed by the as a private pension AND TAKE IT ALL INTO CONSIDURATION. if i got all mine back they have to backdate it to 2010 and i think it could run into 5 or 6 figures

 

 

Edited September 14, 2021 by lenny100

[stu007]

This is only to do with the Navy Pension only which if medically Discharged will show on your yearly statement that it is none taxable. ( I assume you are on about the Army Pension)

 

What does not show in the Navy Pension yearly statement is the TYPE of Navy Pension i.e. if you obtained it due to being Medically Discharged and the important bit the Navy/MOD have admitted Liability for your injury therefore it is Attributable to your Service and is classed as a Attributable Service Pension.

 

The important part is Attributable Service Pension and the only way to find out and to get it in writing to then challenge the Council is to contact the Veterans Agency and ask them if your Navy Pension is classed as a Attributable Service Pension/Service Attributable Pension and if so for them to put it in writing to yourself.

 

Note the above is nothing to do with AFPS 75 but specifically your Navy Pension when Medically Discharged which is Non Taxable.

 

My own 3 year fight on HB & CTB ended up a lot more than 6 figures including compensation back and to be honest I was stunned when I started getting the cheques and had to confirm they were correct before putting them in the bank.