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<p>The Government accepts that we have a duty of care to all current and former members
of the Armed Forces, and the MoD pay for independent legal advice when both current
and former members of the Armed Forces face prosecution in matters related to their
service.</p><p>The Armed Forces Covenant sets out the relationship between the nation,
the government and the armed forces recognising that the whole nation has a moral
obligation to members of the armed forces and their families, and it establishes how
they should expect to be treated.</p><p>In Northern Ireland, there is a bespoke aftercare
package in place to support former members of the UDR and R IRISH (Home Service),
their dependents and widows. This consists of welfare teams spread across Northern
Ireland which offers vocational resettlement training, medical support, and a UDR/
R IRISH benevolent fund. In August 2015, the MoD agreed that the UDR & R IRISH
(HS) Aftercare Service should continue to exist and be funded since circumstances
leading to its inception have not markedly changed, need is still evident and demand
is being effectively met. However, in line with other defence restructuring, it has
been decided that eventually it should become owned by the MoD’s main veterans’ support
organisation, known as Veterans UK.</p><p>This is in addition to the services available
to all veterans; including Veterans UK (in particular the Veterans Welfare Service
which has welfare representatives based across the UK); Service and ex-Service charities
such as the Army Benevolent Fund – the Soldiers charity, SSAFA – the Armed Forces
charity and Combat Stress.</p>
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