A Veteran’s Story

MW is a veteran Royal Marine with long term mental and physical issues. His wife passed away 12 months ago. MW is experiencing serious issues with accessing benefits and is currently in debt. Reinstating a care package is the focus for MW right now. No mention of family or relatives to assist him.

His care package has been removed due to non-payment of fees. MW is a wheelchair bound veteran with spinal deterioration, rheumatoid arthritis and living with diagnosed PTSD. MW experiences constant anxiety and fear over his financial circumstances and needs his financial situation reviewed so that a care package could be reinstated. MW has limited social interaction due to his disability and feels unsafe in his bathroom at home due to repair work not completed by BCP Housing Directorate.

Social prescribing link worker informed AFCSP (Armed Forces Compensation Scheme Programme) of MW’s situation and asked if any help might be found for him as a veteran. AFCSP coordinated and accompanied MW to an appointment with Citizens Advice (CA) in Bournemouth to begin putting his financial situation in order. AFCSP assisted with completion of registration forms and supported MW throughout the interview. A debt assessment was duly completed as well as arrangements for immediate consultations with the Universal Credit and Debt Teams. AFCSP contacted The Royal Marines Charity for assistance and guidance for debt advice and encouraged MW to look at the help and guidance on the Mental Health & Money Advice site AFCSP also asked SSAFA, Age UK, CRUSE, Dorset Help & Kindness and the RBL to determine whether a Bournemouth or Poole based ‘befriending’ service is available – partly to assist with the completion of further forms but also to provide MW with practical support after his recent bereavement.

MW is working towards clearing his immediate debts with regular debt repayments and budgeting applications in place.  AFCSP encouraged MW to contact the GOV.UK team to gauge the award date of his State Pension (he’d been advised that he was not eligible). AFCSP demonstrated how the Veteran’s Gateways link to financial advice worked, which enabled him to talk to the veterans’ pension teams and Armed Forces Pension Calculator to identify qualifying dates for his Service pension.  MW is using the Veterans Gateway to engage with Service associations for social support and arrangements are in place for him to visit a day centre.  The issues around making his bathroom at home safer have now been addressed by Bournemouth Council.

When the AFCSP (Armed Forces Compensation Scheme Programme) rang MW late May 2022, it was a much more confident, upbeat and relaxed MW, who advised he was getting out to join other veterans at local events and activities and was thinking about taking up his interest in sea fishing.

MW was encouraged to complete the UK Veterans Family Study Survey which address issues that have affected him and provided him with a great deal of encouragement and belief in himself as he felt empowered to make comments and observations. The AFCSP is currently looking for volunteer opportunities for him as he has expressed a wish to ‘help out’ at the forthcoming Bournemouth International Air Show and the annual Royal British Legion Poppy collection.

“Thank you for your time and support, I think things might get better as I now have things to look forward to and feel safe.”