1 Introduction

2. What financial help can I get?

3. Does my war pension affect my welfare benefits?

4. What happens if I go into hospital or need extra care?

5. What if I need help finding somewhere to live?

6. What help can I get to find work when I leave the forces?

7. Where can veterans with special needs get help?

8. How can I claim my medals from my time in service?

In many cases, you will have received the campaign medals awarded to you while you were still in the armed forces, because you must wear them for ceremonial duties and other functions. However, you may have left the armed forces before your medal was given to you. If so, you must claim the medal from the Ministry of Defence Medal Office (MOD MO).

Also, most Second World War servicemen and women were not given medals before they were demobilised at the end of the war, so they had to claim them after they had left the Services.

How can I claim the medals of a serviceman or woman who has died
If you are a relative of a serviceman or woman who has died, you can claim their medals. You may need to prove your relationship to the person before you can be given the medals.

Do I have to pay for the medals?
You do not need to pay for medals the first time they are provided. But if you are applying for replacement medals that have been lost, for example in a burglary or a fire, you will have to pay a fee for them. If you are claiming replacement medals, you will have to provide some proof that you lost the originals; for example, a police or insurance report.

How do I claim a service medal?
To claim a medal or to find out if you are able to receive one, you must write to the MOD MO. See ‘Further help’ for how to contact it. When you write, you need to give as much of the following information as you can:

• your full name and date of birth;
• your service number;
• your regiment or corps (for the Army);
• your branch or trade (for the Royal Navy and RAF);
• your rank and the date you were discharged; and
• your name and address now.

9. How can I get hold of my service record?

10. Passports for veterans

11. Further Help

12. About this leaflet

This leaflet is published by the Gurkha Free Legal Advice (LSC) and the Ministry of Defence. It was written in association with Citizens Advice.

The leaflets are regularly updated but the law may have changed since they were printed so the information in them may be incorrect or out of date.

Leaflet Version: October 2007

ਵਾਪਸ ਉੱਤੇ