Thousands of current and former armed forces personnel, and their families, are expected to attend hundreds of free pensions roadshows in a project supported by a Veterans’ Foundation grant.
The grant has been awarded to the Forces Pensions Society to fund roadshows across the UK and overseas, to help serving, service leavers, veterans, and their families, understand their pensions and get advice and guidance on their pension rights and benefits.
Roadshow Manager, Colonel Rob Morris, said: “We are grateful to the Veterans’ Foundation for its support of the roadshow programme. More than 250 people attended three briefings in the last week alone indicating the value and interest in guidance with pensions. We are still taking bookings for 2024 roadshows and will be running the scheme into 2025.”
The Forces Pensions Society is a not-for-profit organisation that provides pension information and guidance. It is also a campaigning body and watchdog that protects against changes in legislation that may negatively impact those who are serving or have served.
It is a membership organisation with more than 65,000 subscribers and works in the best interests of the whole community.
“It is crucial that the community is fully informed of how pensions operate and those with questions about finances get the answers they seek. The Veterans’ Foundation grant will assist in that vitally important function,” said retired Major General David Shaw, CEO and founder of the Veterans’ Foundation.
“Having access to experts will hopefully prevent servicemen and women, and veterans and their families, missing out on the benefits of their pension, whether that is through bad financial advice from third parties, or a lack of awareness of the pension system.”
The Society delivers more than 200 free roadshows each year to help individuals take ownership of pension-related decisions. Most roadshows are staged at naval bases, army units, and RAF stations in the UK and overseas.
Since inception in 2016 the Veterans’ Foundation has awarded more than £25 million in grants to organisations supporting the armed forces community. These include those serving, veterans, and their families, with a range of needs, including mental health, physical therapy and rehabilitation, homelessness and education and training.
The Veterans’ Foundation raises funds through its Veterans’ Lottery, legacy gifts in wills, and donations, it also maintains a Memorial Wall so friends and family can honour their heroes.