Print Fallback Logo

Armed Forces and Veteran Support

Our commitment to the Armed Forces and Veteran Community

On this page you will find a host of information relating to the ways in which we show our support and commitment for our local armed forces community, including practical help in accessing employment, housing and other services.

The Armed Forces Covenant

We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant which is a formal promise from the nation to recognise the sacrifices made by active service personnel, veterans and their families to keep us all safe, and a commitment to ensure they are not unfairly disadvantaged when accessing public and commercial services. View more information on The Armed Forces Covenant on the GOV.UK website.

View information on support services for military and defence personnel and their families on the GOV.UK website.

View South Ribble Armed Forces Covenant.

The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS)

We are proud to hold the Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS), which encourages employers across the country to support defence personnel and inspire others to do the same.

View more information on the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme on the GOV.UK website.

Jobs at South Ribble Borough Council

We recognise the skill and expertise of armed forces personnel and the value they bring to our local community, even long after leaving active service.

Our Armed Forces Interview Scheme guarantees an interview for ex-service personnel so long as they meet the relevant application criteria for the post.

View job vacancies at the council

Reservist Policy

As a 'forces friendly' council, we also support employees from the armed forces community to continue their commitments in uniform.

Serving Reservists and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers are granted up to an additional 10 days paid leave to enable them to attend training camps without having to sacrifice more valuable time with their families.

Support is also provided for the spouses/partners of reservists and members of the regular armed forces at times of deployment, injury or bereavement.

Career Transition Partnership (CTP)

The CTP provides comprehensive resettlement support services for personnel leaving the Armed Forces, as they transition from their military career into employment, further education or retirement and for up to 2 years after leaving in the form of employment support.

We have registered with and engage with the CTP, making them aware when jobs are available at the council.

View more information about the Career Transition Partnership.

Forces Families Jobs (FFJ)

Forces Families Jobs is the go to place for training, employment and volunteer roles for family members of currently serving UK military personnel.  

Apply for jobs and access employment and training opportunities with companies and organisations who are forces family friendly and have signed the Armed Forces Covenant.  

We have registered with FFJ, making them aware when jobs are available at the council.

View more information on Forces Families Jobs (FFJ)

South Ribble Armed Forces Champion

Each local authority has an Armed Forces Champion, which is a role undertaken by an elected member (councillor).

The purpose of the champion is to promote and champion the interests of the Armed Forces Community within the local authority, to act as single point of contact, and to engage with the Armed Forces Community locally to identify key issues of concern.

The Armed Forces Champion also represents the council on the Lancashire Armed Forces Covenant Hub and the Lancashire Armed Forces Covenant Forum.

Our Armed Forces Champion is Councillor Matthew Farnworth who has held the role since May 2023.

Councillor Farnworth is supported by a dedicated officer from South Ribble Borough Council’s Communities Team.

Contact Councillor Matthew Farnworth

Remembrance and Armed Forces Week / Day

We work with the Royal British Legion to promote, coordinate and support the annual Remembrance Sunday Commemoration Parades around the borough. We hold a company wide 2 minute silence on Armistice Day and held a service to light a beacon to remember the fallen on the D Day 80 Anniversary.

We commemorate both Armed Forces week and Remembrance time with the raising of the Union flag outside the Civic Centre.

The Lancashire Armed Forces Covenant Hub

We attend The Lancashire's Armed Forces Covenant Hub which aims to improve the delivery of the Armed Forces Covenant by working with all the local authorities within Lancashire, ensuring the covenant is both understood and honoured.

Outputs are delivered across the following themes :

  • education
  • employment
  • health
  • housing
  • wellbeing
  • welfare support.

The hub can and does work with individuals where they feel they have been treated unfairly under the terms of the Armed Forces Covenant.

View more information on the Lancashire Armed Forces Covenant Hub.

View Lancashire Armed Forces directory.

Chorley and South Ribble Armed Forces Covenant Support Group and Chorley and South Ribble Armed Forces Covenant Housing and Healthcare Sub-Group

Chorley and South Ribble Council, host this group to act similarly to the Lancashire Hub, but on a more local level.

The purpose of the group is to oversee the development of the Armed Forces Covenant and the Covenant Duty and to make sure that they are both understood and honoured in Chorley and South Ribble Boroughs by:

  • raising awareness of the covenant and covenant duty among serving and civilian communities, within local authorities, statutory services and the private and voluntary sector sectors
  • encouraging partner agencies and local businesses to sign the Armed Forces Covenant and become part of the Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS)
  • working with partners to ensure that the Armed Forces Community have fair and equitable access to housing and support services and by providing expertise to complement existing support to those people from the Armed Forces Community that are experiencing homelessness
  • likewise, by ensuring the same support and access to healthcare, business, employment and education services / activities; and recommend appropriate responses and solutions to the above
  • supporting community integration through joint activities by raising awareness and skills across the sector
  • identifying gaps in provision in Chorley and South Ribble boroughs, in the hope of shaping future commissioning intentions and systems change and help reduce duplication of work by services in this sector.

Operation Fortitude

Operation Fortitude is funded by The Armed Forces Covenant Fund to deliver a centralised referral pathway into veteran supported housing. The remit of the team will be to work with individual veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness, supporting them either into suitable accommodation, or supporting them to maintain their current home.

The approach involves creating a pathway from the veteran at risk or experiencing homelessness to veteran supported housing or organisation that can support them to keep their current home and avoid becoming homeless in the first place, as well as other unsupported veteran housing. At the centre of this is a team dedicated to making that link.

The underlying issue causing the person to be at risk of homelessness could be one or more of a range of issues, including income maximisation, employment, mental or physical health, substance misuse etc.

The Veteran Charity Sector has a rich history of providing support to veterans in these and many other areas and have a vital role to play in preventing veteran homelessness. Operation Fortitude will also prove to be a critical resource for these agencies and any veterans they are working with who may be homeless.

View more information on Operation Fortitude.

Armed Forces Pay Rise

Following the announcement on 29 July 2024, Armed Forces personnel will get a 6% increase. 

Use this calculator to work out how much you may be entitled to.

Armed Forces Council Tax Exemption

Living accommodation for UK armed forces which is owned by the Secretary of State for Defence is exempt whether occupied or not. 

This includes barracks and other accommodation on military bases, together with married quarters and any other property, wherever located, provided the accommodation is held for the purposes of forces accommodation.

Contributions in lieu of Council Tax are payable to local councils on such properties.

View more information on Armed Forces Council Tax Exemption

View more information on Diplomats, Visiting Forces and Members Of International Headquarters and Defence Organisations Council Tax Exemptions

Register to vote if you are in the Armed Forces

People in the armed forces, and their spouses or civil partners, can register to vote as a service voter or an ordinary voter.

If you are based overseas or expect to be posted abroad in the next year, you should register as a service voter. This allows you to be registered at a fixed address in the UK even if you move around. A service voter registration also lasts for 5 years. Once you are registered, you will not have to worry about it while posted overseas. If however you are based in the UK for the foreseeable future, we recommend you register to vote as an ordinary elector.

You will need your service number to register to vote.

Register to vote