Welfare Services

If you’re having trouble managing money, applying for benefits, or you need support with employment or housing, we can help.

Our case managers work in partnership with veterans and families to help people take back control of their lives.

Your case manager will be at your side to make sure you get the support you need.

They can put you in touch with other professionals at Help for Heroes for mental or physical health support. It might be that someone from another organisation is better placed to support you. In which case they can find out who it is you need to talk to. And they’ll help you have those conversations.

These are some of the welfare issues we can support you with.

Money management

Having money troubles can be stressful. We’ll be by your side and guide you as you take positive steps to take back control of your finances.

If you’re struggling with debt, we can put you in touch with debt experts, such as the charity StepChange, who can provide free advice. We’ll help you with the conversations with StepChange, or a similar organisation, and help you work through the plans you have made with them.

If you are having trouble with rent or council tax payments, we can talk to your local council or your landlord to try to work out a repayment plan.

We want to make sure you get expert help so you can find your way out of your current difficulties. We also want to help you avoid getting into financial difficulties again. Our Recovery College has a course you could do called Financial wellbeing: taking back control, which helps people understand budgeting and good money management.

If money troubles are affecting your mental health, support is available from the Hidden Wounds Service. This is the Charity’s mental health service for veterans and families.

Employment support

The right job can be great for your financial stability and independence. It can also provide a supportive social network.

Problems finding work or staying in work can be upsetting and stressful.

If you’re having trouble at work, we might be able to talk to your employer and help you work through any difficulties. If things are really not good at work, we can put you in touch with an external organisation such as Acas. They can give you free and impartial advice about your rights at work. If you are talking to someone like Acas, we can work with you at the same time to help you think about your next steps.

Many of the skills you gained in the Armed Forces will make you attractive to employers. But we know it is never easy applying for jobs. If you’re having trouble filling in an application form for a job, or would like some advice on getting ready for an interview, we can help.

Applying for financial benefits

If you’re having any difficulty applying for benefits, such as Carers allowance, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), or Universal Credit, we can provide information, guidance and support. We can also help if you are going through an appeals process for any of these benefits.

The War Pensions Scheme (WPS) and the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS)

If you have an injury or illness that was caused by or made worse by your service in the Armed Forces, you might be entitled to the War Pensions Scheme (WPS) or the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS).

We can help if you are going through the application, review or appeal process for either of these.

Housing difficulties

If the property you live in is not suitable for you, we could talk to you about your options. We could look at the possibility of helping you sort out a move. If you live in social housing, we can talk to the local council. If you rent privately, we might be able to talk to your landlord to see what can be done.

If there are any documents about your housing rights you don’t understand, we can help you with that.

We can help you apply for changes to your house if mobility issues are making it difficult for you to get around and do everyday tasks. This might include using your bath, shower, or toilet. You and your case manager might be able to work with our grants team to see if you can get some funding for home adaptations.

If you or a veteran you know is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, we can help you find accommodation.

There’s a lot of demand for social housing. We might be able to help you with your application process.

Home visits

If you find it difficult to leave your home for whatever reason, we might be able to visit you in your home. We might be able to visit you in the community, or attend appointments with you for housing, medical, benefits or other reasons.

Getting out into the community

We can help you meet people in your local community, such as at breakfast clubs, veterans’ hubs, and similar events. We could also arrange for you to get involved with our Sport, Activity and Fellowship teams, who can help you find enjoyable sports and social activities with other veterans and families near you.

Support for families

Supporting families is just as important as supporting veterans. Our family case managers can support you in all the ways outlined above and they can provide that to you and your family. They will work closely with you to help you all overcome any challenges you may face.

Find out more about how we support families.

People fleeing domestic abuse

We work with local authorities to ensure they provide safe housing to people who are fleeing domestic abuse. It’s their legal duty to do this. A family case manager can work with you to ensure the safety of you and your children and signpost to specialist domestic abuse agencies, while still supporting and guiding you through other issues.