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May 12, 2021

EU, EEA Or Swiss National ID Cards No Longer Valid to Enter The UK From 1st Oct 2021

Changes to UK border policy from the 1st of Oct 2021.

What you need to enter the UK If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen

Irish citizens can continue to enter and live in the UK.

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can travel to the UK for holidays or short trips without needing a visa. You can cross the UK border using a valid passport which should be valid for the whole time you are in the UK.

You will not be able to use an EU, EEA or Swiss national ID card to enter the UK from 1 October 2021 unless you:


have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

In these cases, you can continue to use your national ID card to enter the UK until at least 31 December 2025.

You must have the correct documents to show at the UK border if you’re travelling to the UK. You cannot use any documents to enter the UK that are not listed here.

In other cases, find out if you need to apply for a visa to enter the UK.
If you’re a non-EEA family member of an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen

You need a valid national passport, and one of the following

an EU Settlement Scheme family permit
a UK-issued EEA family permit
a UK-issued biometric residence card
You cannot use an Article 10 or Article 20 residence card issued by an EEA member state.

Business travel to the UK

If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss Citizen travelling to the UK for a short business trip, you may not need to apply for a visa.

Under the UK’s new points-based immigration system, you can continue to visit the UK without applying for a visa. In most cases you can stay for up to 6 months. You may participate in a wide range of activities including business-related activities such as meetings, events and conferences. You may enter the UK multiple times during that period but you may not live in the UK by means of frequent or successive visits.

As a business visitor, you cannot:

do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person
do a work placement or internship
sell directly to the public or provide goods and services
Read more about visiting the UK on a business trip and check whether you need to apply for a visa to carry out your intended activities.

Check the Visitor Rules and see the full list of business and academic activities you can do as a visitor to the UK.


You can read more details on the UK Goverment website Here.

G is For General Enquiries

 

Click the poster to access the links

May 7, 2021

Naval Families Federation - Headspace



Headspace - now open to RN/RM/RFA serving personnel!

As part of a pilot project, we are delighted to open up the allocation of the free Headspace licences to Service personnel and their families! These licences are valid until the end of October 2021, so apply now to benefit from the full six months subscription.

Further details/to sign up nff.org.uk/headspace

This project is supported by Royal Navy Family and People Support and NAVYfit

*To ensure that Headspace reaches the widest possible audience, there is a limit of one licence per Service Number.*

May 6, 2021

Army Eats - Exploring The Appetites Of Today's Soldiers



Welcome to the British Army EATS cooking competition, which aims to encourage and promote healthy eating within the Army community.

The competition is open to all serving soldiers and officers within the Army. Send us a picture of your self-cooked meal and be in with a chance of winning a prize to the value of £50 each month. Your recipe could also feature in a future cookbook to raise funds and awareness for a selected military charity.

Whether you’re cooking in the block with limited equipment or cooking in a fully equipped household kitchen, there’s a chance to win in each category!

For more information please click HERE

April 30, 2021

Joining Forces Credit Unions – now available to civilian staff on Discover My Benefits



As part of the commitment to improve financial wellbeing in the MOD, Joining Forces Credit Unions are now available to civilian staff as well as the military.

Credit unions are not-for-profit financial cooperatives that provide a range of savings and loan products to their members. They incentivise strong financial wellbeing by encouraging saving, as well as being ethical lenders that can provide lower interest rates than high street lenders.

There are three Credit Unions available to military and civilian MOD staff under the Joining Forces banner. You can find out more about what Credit Unions are, and about the three different types, on Discover My Benefits.

Discover My Benefits is regularly updated with the latest benefits and support available to both MOD civilians and those in the Armed Forces. It’s the place to go to find out the benefits you are entitled to and how to access them.

A survey is currently being run to find out what users think of the site, and to identify any areas of improvement to make the experience of using Discover My Benefits better. If you visit the site and spend a bit of time on there, you may be asked to complete the survey - it would be really helpful if you could take the time to give your views.

April 29, 2021

Future Accommodation Model Success Story

The way people live and work is changing and the Future Accommodation Model (FAM) reflects this. FAM gives more choice to support the needs of Service personnel over where, how and with whom they live. With FAM personnel can still select Single Living Accommodation (SLA) or Service Family Accommodation (SFA), but they can also choose to live in private rental accommodation or buy their own home with support from the MOD.

FAM applies equally to Service personnel whether single, married, in a civil partnership, long term established relationship or parents such as Lt Col Chris Farrelly, who have their children over 80 nights per calendar year. This means that Service personnel assigned to a pilot site, who are eligible, can choose the accommodation that best suits their needs, whether they want to live closer to a particular school or nursery, on the base, in town with their friends or somewhere they and their partner can both easily commute from.

Army Lt Col Chris Farrelly shares his story about how under FAM he’s received Service Family Accommodation as his daughter stays with him on a regular basis.

To find out more about FAM check out GOV.UK. You can also visit Discover My Benefits to find out which FAM payments, allowances and support could apply to your personal situation.

April 7, 2021

Norfolk: Service Pupil Premium Resource Directory

                                                                                    


Norfolk County Council has developed a resource for schools and parents, helping them develop their understanding of the Armed Forces Covenant, the Armed Force Community and the Service Pupil Premium.

The booklet was developed in partnership with a group of experienced local schools and the three families federations; the Army Families Federation, the RAF Families Federation and the Naval Families Federation.

Click above or HERE to view

March 29, 2021

The way people live and work is changing - FAM case study


The way people live and work is changing and the Future Accommodation Model (FAM) reflects this. FAM gives more choice to support the needs of Service personnel over where, how and with whom they live. With FAM personnel can still select Single Living Accommodation (SLA) or Service Family Accommodation (SFA), but they can also choose to live in private rental accommodation or buy their own home with support from the MOD.

FAM applies equally to Service personnel whether single, married, in a civil partnership, long term established relationship or parents who have their children over 80 nights per calendar year. This means that Service personnel assigned to a pilot site, who are eligible, can choose the accommodation that best suits their needs, whether they want to live closer to a particular school or nursery, on the base, in town with their friends or somewhere they and their partner can both easily commute from.

Army Major Lisa Brown shares her story about how she received support through FAM to help buy a dream home with plenty of room for her family.

YouTube video link (Army subtitled version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB2LYbOCFdA

To find out more about FAM check out GOV.UK. You can also visit Discover My Benefits to find out which FAM payments, allowances and support apply to your personal situation.

Changes to Timeline for Submission of Indefinite Leave to Remain Applications Pre-Discharge




The MOD has agreed with the Home Office to extend the time limit before discharge that non-UK Service Personnel can submit applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain, with immediate effect.

Previously, non-UK soldiers had been able to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) up to 10 weeks prior to discharge. This has now been changed to up to 18 weeks prior to discharge.

It will take time to reflect this in Army / MOD and Home Office documents and websites, as well as other Army guidance documents. In the meantime, any questions should be directed to your soldier's chain of command.


March 26, 2021

Healthcare for the Armed Forces community: a forward view



Healthcare for the Armed Forces community: this forward view should be seen as a companion document to the NHS Long Term Plan (LTP), outlining the commitments NHS England and NHS Improvement is making to improve the health and wellbeing of the Armed Forces community, serving personnel (regulars and reservists), veterans and their families.