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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Business
Sara Odeen-Isbister

Royal British Legion is offering veterans and families up to £1,200 to help pay bills

The Royal British Legion is offering veterans and their families up to £200 a month for six months to help people struggling with the cost of living crisis.

The charity was initially offering the scheme for up to 12 months but says it has had to cut the offer to six instalments due to a high level of demand.

This means the total has shrunk from £2,400 to £1,200.

It hopes the change will mean more people can be helped overall.

The scheme - launched in October - is not just for veterans but the entire "armed forces community".

This includes those that are serving, plus their families. It covers dependants, carers, former spouses and partners, widows and widowers.

The charity is offering grants of up to £200 for six months (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Successful applications will get up to £200 a month for six months, but the exact amount and its duration will vary depending on circumstances.

Although the grants are means tested, you do not have to be on benefits.

However, if you're currently receiving any means-tested state benefits, such as universal credit, pension credit or income support, you should qualify automatically, reports MoneySavingExpert.

The grant will not always be provided in cash, but could be vouchers to top up your gas or electricity prepayment meter, a virtual credit card that can be used to pay utility bills or vouchers for food, clothing and household items

Members of the Armed Forces community will in many cases face the same cost of living pressures as other people, but some are more vulnerable to rising costs.

Previous Royal British Legion (RBL) research found that working-age adults in the veteran community are more likely to be sick or disabled than UK adults of the same age.

RBL research has found that working age veterans are more likely to be sick or disabled than UK adults of the same age (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

RBL said one in ten members of the ex-Service community report some kind of financial difficulty - equivalent to 430,000 people.

Military widow and RBL beneficiary Frances Metcalf said: "My energy bills have increased by more than 100% in the past year. The cost of food is going up. Everything you can think of - interest rates, insurance.

"In February and March of this year I hardly turned the heating on and kept myself warm using a hot water bottle. The worry is the worst part. You can’t eat because of worry, and you don’t know which way to turn.

"The financial support the RBL has given me has helped no end - without it I would really struggle."

The Royal British Legion’s Executive Director of Services, Antony Baines, said last month: "Many of the most vulnerable members of the Armed Forces community are facing this winter with genuine fear about how to pay their bills.

"Over the last year we have issued 20% more grants to some members of the Armed Forces community who simply cannot make ends meet. We sadly expect these figures to rise further, particularly over the winter months."

You can check your eligibility on its website or by calling its helpline on 0808 802 8080.

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