'Armed forces champions' for job centres
Updated on 19 November 2009
The families of troops are being promised extra help in getting jobs and accessing childcare, as the government fights off public bad feeling over the campaign in Afghanistan.
Measures include putting "armed forces champions" in job centres and a further review of school places and healthcare for service families. The plans are designed to build upon a package of help set out last year.
Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth and Equalities Minister Harriet Harman will announce the new details at a special reception for relatives of troops at Downing Street.
Ministers will look at how local councils can provide extra support for military children and to improve transport to and from remote military bases.
Work and Pensions Secretary Yvette Cooper will head an employment and skills taskforce to help families access the same work, education and training opportunities as the civilian community. There will be a champion based in every Jobcentre Plus district, directly working with relatives of service personnel.
There will also be a test-run of a tailored "shared equity" scheme to help service families get on the housing ladder, despite regular moves.
Mr Ainsworth said: "The demands that service in the armed forces place on our people is unique.
"They are required to follow orders whatever the danger, and to deploy wherever and whenever they are needed. The impact of this is considerable, particularly on their families.
"Last year, we introduced 40 measures to ensure that our forces and their families were not disadvantaged in accessing public services. Today's announcement builds on this."
Ms Harman added: "Service wives must have the chance to get training, work and childcare. But, as I have seen first hand from my visits to military bases, that is hard if they have to move regularly and are located on a base miles away from parents and in-laws."
Gordon Brown cannot attend the event because he will be in Brussels for the EU summit to decide the presidency. However, Number 10 said the prime minister's wife, Sarah, would be there to greet the families.
Mr Brown was under fire from forces families last week after the mother of a soldier killed in Afghanistan criticised the spelling mistakes in his hand-written letter of condolence to her. Jacqui Janes later accepted his apology.
The PM is trying to bolster dwindling public support for Britain's presence in Afghanistan with a large majority of voters backing an early exit.
The rapidly rising death toll which has seen 98 UK troops die this year alone, taking the total since operations began to 235, has fuelled calls for British forces to be withdrawn.
