May 18, 2021
May 13, 2021
MOD Diversity Networks
Curious about what Defence’s more than 60 support networks are and how to find them? Defence has network groups for faith, wellbeing, gender and sexuality, and many other causes.
CLICK HERE to find out more
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EU, EEA Or Swiss National ID Cards No Longer Valid to Enter The UK From 1st Oct 2021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
have a frontier worker permit
are an S2 Healthcare Visitor
are a Swiss Service Provider
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.
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.
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