Thousands of HM Armed Forces Veteran Cards to be rolled out in 2023

Following on from the Government’s earlier announcement to make veteran cards available digitally, here are the latest key points:

– The launch date for the service will be announced later this year

– Veterans will be able to apply online for the card this year

– A paper-based application will be made available for those veterans who are unable to apply online

– £3 million has been injected to enable roll-out to those veterans who left service before 2018

– 50,000 cards will be produced a month including at an MOD printing facility at HMS Sultan in Gosport

– Since December 2018, the MOD has been automatically issuing all service leavers with a physical veterans’ card as part of their service leavers pack. When the service opens up later this year, veterans, including all those who left service before 2018, will be able to apply for a new ID card

Comment

Lt Gen Sir Nicholas Pope, Chair of Cobseo, the Confederation of Service Charities said:

Veterans who need timely help, either from the state or from the charity sector, are often frustrated by delays in confirming their status. Veterans’ ID cards provide a significant step forward in speeding up this process and we look forward to supporting their delivery to the entire veteran community.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Rt Hon. Johnny Mercer MP shared (Image shows Rt Hon Johnny Mercer MP handing veterans their newly printed HM Armed Forces Veteran Cards.):

Veteran cards provide ex-service men and women with a tangible connection to the important contributions they have made to the defence of our nation.

We are honouring our commitment to getting ID cards into the hands of veterans by the end of the year so that they can more easily access support.

The veterans I met today are excited about the benefits on offer – benefits which will only continue to grow for them over the coming years as civilians.

More information

The new digital verification service.