Northern Ireland announces plans for dedicated Armed Forces advice service
- Feb 20
- 1 min read
The Northern Ireland Executive has announced plans to establish a dedicated advice service for members of the Armed Forces community living in Northern Ireland.
The initiative was outlined by the Minister for Communities, who said the service is intended to provide information and guidance to serving personnel, veterans and their families on a range of issues including housing, benefits and access to support services.
According to the announcement, the advice service will include both online and telephone support, designed to help members of the Armed Forces community navigate the range of public services available in Northern Ireland.
Officials said the new service aims to improve awareness of support pathways and ensure that veterans and their families can access accurate information about the assistance available to them.
Northern Ireland’s approach to supporting veterans differs from other parts of the UK because health, housing and welfare services are delivered through devolved government structures. As a result, members of the Armed Forces community may need to navigate different systems and organisations when seeking support after leaving military service.
The planned advice service is intended to provide a central point of information that can guide users toward appropriate support providers across these systems.
At the time of the announcement, further operational details about the service had not yet been published, including when the telephone line or online platform will become available.
The Department for Communities said the new advice service forms part of wider efforts to strengthen support for the Armed Forces community in Northern Ireland.
Further information about how the service will operate is expected once the programme moves closer to launch.