asked Her Majesty’s Government:

What assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the resettlement grant provided at the end of a soldier’s military career. [HL362]

The tax-free resettlement grant is part of the wider remuneration and pension scheme arrangements for the Armed Forces. In part it is designed to have a “pull through” effect by encouraging individuals to complete longer service within their open engagement period. There is clear statistical evidence detailed in the DASA service manpower outflow charts that a significant proportion of personnel stay until they qualify for the grant. The relevant service points are nine years for officers and 12 years for other ranks under the Armed Forces pension scheme 2005 arrangements. While it is too early for evidence to emerge of the effectiveness of the grant under the new Armed Forces pension scheme 2005 arrangements, the opportunity was taken on the introduction of the new scheme to harmonise the qualification period for the grant to 12 years for officers and other ranks. We expect a similar “pull through” effect to be evident as statistics emerge for the new scheme.

The resettlement grant should be viewed within the context of an overall resettlement package which includes access to individually tailored resettlement training, careers advice, workshops and general job finding assistance. This overall package is designed to ensure that all service leavers make a successful transition to civilian life on completion of their time in the Armed Forces.