Cost of living support
Colchester Borough Council is providing support for residents facing the cost of living crisis.
Colchester Borough Council is providing support for residents facing the cost of living crisis.
Whether you are currently serving, or have previously served in the Armed Forces, you may need some help with benefits and financial advice.
The Ministry of Defence has published a helpful guide on financial top tips for service personnel to ensure they get a fair deal when they need to access financial services.
The MOD have produced information on financial and pension advice and support services for the defence personnel and families.
Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support - War Disablement Pension, War Widow’s Pension or War Widower’s Pension will not be taken into account when calculating income for Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support.
Council Tax - If you are a member of the armed forces and you and your family have to temporarily move out of your main home to take up residence in accommodation provided by the MOD, you may be eligible for a 50% job-related discount. For further information about this discount, email council.tax@colchester.gov.uk
Universal Credit - helps people find out what benefits they should be claiming, and provides more detail about how Universal Credit can help them move into, or progress in, work.
Read more about Universal Credit
Freephone Helpline: 0800 3285644
To access support relating to benefits and financial advice, see the following links:
You can find a useful summary of the businesses helping the Armed Forces community with mortgages, motor insurance, broadband, media packages and mobile phone contracts here
If you are a member of the Armed Forces community you are eligible for a Defence Privilege Card, at a cost of less than £1.00 a year. Visit the Defence Discount Service website to find out how you can start saving now on high street and online purchases.
Colchester Borough Council have registered with the Defence Discount Service: a range of discounts/concessions are available at venues including Leisure World, Colchester Castle and Colchester Events Company.
The Ministry of Defence will be launching a new Veterans ID card which will enable public and charitable sector services to instantly recognise the service of a Veteran. This card will provide proof that a Veterans has served in HM Armed Forces in line with the Government definition of a Veteran, which is one day’s service.
Currently, there is no way for existing Veterans to easily prove the fact that they have served, and the administrative burden on providers when verifying that a person is a Veteran can be considerable, both in time and cost. This card will allow you to confidentially verify that someone has served in the Armed Forces.
However, this card will not be held by all Veterans as it is being rolled out in tranches and some genuine Veterans in need may not have the capacity to apply for one.
Therefore, please do not take the absence of a Veterans ID card as proof that a person is not a Veteran. Instead continue to use your existing processes to verify their Veteran status.
If you are asked questions about the ID card, please refer Veterans to the Veterans UK helpline number and they will be able to provide the relevant information, details below.
Telephone: 0808 1914218
Website: www.veterans-uk.info