THE QARANC ASSOCIATION BENEVOLENT FUND

Benevolence is an important function of the QARANC Association providing financial assistance to purchase specific goods, services, or facilities for serving and retired members of the Corps, or their dependents, who are in need. The following guide is to assist those who wish to apply for benevolence or want to advise those who are in need of benevolence. Please note that cases cannot be handled directly and, in all instances, must first go through a SSAFA Caseworker or the TRBL Caseworker.

On receipt of your case, it is then considered by the Association Board of Trustees. If approved, the funds will be transferred to the organisation representing you and will be administered by them. The funding can only be used for the specific purpose of the request and will not be made payable to the individual.

ELIGIBILITY

Anyone who has served as a Regular or Reserve member of the QARANC, or its predecessor organisations, with one day’s paid service or more.
You are in need or distress
You need financial assistance to help you achieve a reasonable quality of life
You do not need to have been a member of the Association to apply.

HOW TO APPLY

All cases for benevolence, both serving and retired must come through:

The Royal British Legion (TRBL),
Poppy Scotland,
Soldiers, Sailors Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA)

All cases must come to QARANC Association Benevolence via the local SSAFA Caseworker, this applies to serving and retired personnel. Benevolence committees are unable to consider any direct requests from individuals, in extraordinary situations they will consider direct from Unit Welfare Officers of serving personnel. If a serving individual has a temporary cash flow problem or encounters a difficulty their Unit Chain of Command should assist as this is not a benevolence matter. Long term cases in need are more complex and may require intervention and referral to other organisations.

A SSAFA Caseworker will be allocated and will visit you at your convenience to discuss your case. They will need to take some detailed information from you in order to assess how you can best be helped. This will include financial information, housing and family circumstances which they will enter onto a Form A (this document is key and without it we are unable to proceed). It is most important that you provide as much detail as possible however difficult, as the end result is to provide you with as much assistance as possible in order for you to continue looking after yourself and your family independently. This information is confidential (only shared with those dealing with your case) and once completed it is passed to the organisation that will deal with it, this could be the Royal British Legion (TRBL) the Army Benevolent Fund (ABF) or the in this situation the QARANC Association. Of note assistance may also be requested from other Corps or Service Charities for those who were also members of another Corps or Service.

The Benevolence Manager will be provided with the case and this is then placed before the committee, a combination of serving and retired officers and soldiers. The committee meet every month and in 'emergency' situations meetings will be held out of committee to assess cases. . A decision is generally made at the meeting and if benevolence is agreed funding will be sent to the Caseworker generally within 7 days. Payments are not made payable to an individual. The case may be referred onto other organisations that will help also. In some cases more information may be required and it will be referred back to the caseworker.

If mobility equipment is required then it will be necessary in all cases to have a full Occupational Therapy assessment and supporting report. This is to ensure that the correct piece of equipment designed to meet your specific needs is purchased.

The Benevolence Committee works to a guide criteria which is flexible but it does not include the repayment of any sort of debt nor can it provide loans.

DO YOU NEED HELP?

The links below will direct you to some charities that can assist you.

ARMY BENEVOLENT FUND (ABF)
SSAFA
SSAFA FORCES LINE
ROYAL BRITISH LEGION

POPPY SCOTLAND
HELP FOR HEROES
THE NOT FORGOTTEN

Useful Links

Office for Veterans' Affairs (OVA)- this directory lists organisations that provide support to veterans of the UK armed forces and their families. Leading on the government’s policy on veterans, they work with devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, local government, charities and businesses to help veterans when they need it, enabling them to continue to make brilliant contributions to society after leaving the armed forces. On their website there is a lot of information about different ways they can help as well as clarity regarding health, employment and pensions.
There are a number of ‘Ops’ that have been designed to support veterans in specific situations. Some can be accessed directly by an individual and others will need input from others such as a GP.

Op ASCEND - free service that helps veterans and their families growing their careers. It’s run by the Forces Employment Charity and funded by government. Whether you’re a veteran, a family member or an employer looking to attract skilled talent to your organisation, find out what signing up can do for you.

Op COURAGE - is an NHS mental health specialist service designed to help serving personnel due to leave the military, reservists, armed forces veterans and their families.

Op FORTITUDE - is funded by The Armed Forces Covenant Fund to deliver a centralised referral pathway into veteran supported housing. The remit of the team will be to work with individual veterans at risk of or experiencing homelessness, supporting them either into suitable accommodation, or supporting them to maintain their current home.

Op NOVA - is delivered by the Forces Employment Charity and commissioned by the NHS. It operates solely in the East of England, North West, North East and South Yorkshire and Humberside. The service helps veterans who are in contact with the justice system by providing emotional and practical support. Veterans are able to access specialist support in areas such as health, housing and employment. The support is available pre and post custody across all of England.

Op RESTORE - all veterans, service leavers, non-mobilised reservists and their family members and carers can access a range of specialist healthcare and support created to provide treatment and care for many different problems.

Op VALOUR - is a new programme designed to make it easier for veterans across the UK to access the care and support they deserve. Led by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) within the Ministry of Defence, it aims to improve how services are coordinated at national, regional and local levels, ensuring veterans get the right support, in the right place, at the right time.

Further Support Available

Serving

Service Leavers
Army Welfare and Speak out Helpline
Forces Line
Dealing with PTSD and mental illness

Veterans

OVA online support guides
Dealing with PTSD and Military mental illness and housing advice and support for homeless veterans
Buying household goods, debt advice, help with the loss of loved ones British Legion and SSAFA
Veterans Welfare Service
Overseas Veterans

Military Families

Family Support, Joint Services Housing and HIVE Families support
Services Cotswold Centre
Stepping Stones Homes
Short Breaks and holidays for Service Families

Mental Health

Combat Stress - provide specialist clinical treatment and support for veterans from the British Armed Forces, focusing on those with PTSD, Complex-PTSD, and moral injury resulting from their experiences during military service. When some military personnel leave service, their experiences can’t easily be left behind. Help Line Number is 0800 138 1619

Hidden Wounds - mental health therapy service called Hidden Wounds provided by Help for Heroes. Their therapists use a range of approaches to support veterans, their family members aged over 18, and those who’ve served under UK command. They also provide practical support for other challenges that may be affecting your family's well-being. Help Line Number is 0300 303 9888

Icarus - provide reassurance and support having an understanding of military service is extremely important. Each person asking for help is treated as an individual and there is no set time limit to the time services are offered.

Walking with the Wounded - Walking With The Wounded provides personalised support to ex-service personnel who are struggling since leaving military service. As a veteran’s charity, they can help with employment, mental health, and support care coordination. They empower those who’ve served and their families to find purpose, rebuild their lives and contribute to their communities

The Warrior Programme - Most Veterans report a successful transition back into civvy street, however for a number this can be a difficult process, finding a job, juggling family responsibilities and settling down to a very different way of life. The programme offer a 12 month programme, commencing with either a 3 day residential or 5 day online intensive foundation course, followed by regular refresher sessions and online interaction.

Veterans at Ease - Veterans at Ease is a leading Military Mental Health Charity, committed to helping all members of HM Armed Forces Community, be it Veterans, Reservists, Serving Military Personnel or their families, so they can deal with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, flashbacks or thoughts of suicide, as well as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other combat stress-related issues

Useful Support Organisations

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS)
Armed Forces Pensions
Grants for Furniture and Carpets
Greggs Foundation
Forces Pension Society
Funeral Expenses Payment
Funeral Expenses for War Pensioners and Veterans
HM Forces Veteran ID Card
War Pension Scheme (WPS)
War Pension Scheme; other allowances
Veterans Unclaimed Pensions
turn2US
Veterans Cancer Support
Veterans Charity

Board Dates will be held on the following dates:

7 May 26
4 Jun 26
3 Jul 26
31 Jul 26
28 Aug 26
25 Sep 26
23 Oct 26
20 Nov 26
11 Dec 26

For further information contact benevolence@qarancassociation.org.uk or generalsecretary@qarancassociation.org.uk

THANK YOU

Thank You - QARANC Association provided support with setting up home - 'having the other items has most definitely improved the quality of life for me and the children. They have made a huge difference in our day to day living and functioning at home. Thank you'.

Thank You - financial assistance was provided to assist with travel costs - 'I want to take this time to thank the QA Association for generously assisting me towards the cost of travel for my dad's funeral back in Jamaica. I really appreciate it; it means a lot to get the opportunity to go pay my last respect. I can’t thank you enough'

Thank You - financial assistance to assist with carpets - the caseworker thanked the Association and promised to pass on the signposting information we sent and said that the family would be delighted with our help.