Businesses encouraged to use the skills and experience of veterans

100 Armed Forces charities are benefiting from nearly £6million of extra funding to support serving personnel, veterans and their families during the coronavirus pandemic.

Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer said:

If it wasn’t for the brave servicemen and women who serve and protect our country, we would not have a United Kingdom to call our home.

That’s why we must continue to do everything we can to support our veterans through these challenging times.

During July a consultation will also be launched on employers paying no National Insurance contributions on the salary of any veteran they take on during their first year of civilian employment.

Employers currently pay Employers’ National Insurance contributions of 13.8% of the employee’s salary. Under this measure, they will be able to save this cost on an employee’s salary up to the Upper Earnings Limit (£50,000).

Under the plans announced in this year’s Budget, an employer taking on a veteran earning £25k will save around £2,000 in NICs.

General Sir John McColl, Chairman of the Confederation of Service Charities, said:

This emergency funding is a very welcome step towards sustaining life-saving support for those in need across the Armed Forces Community. The Service Charity Sector has once again demonstrated great imagination and determination in adapting its delivery methods during this crisis, and we look forward to continuing to work with the MOD and the OVA to sustain these vital services in the coming months as the true impact of the pandemic is fully felt by charities throughout the Sector.

See more information including the list of charities benefiting from the extra funding