As you may have seen in the Mirror over the weekend, the Royal British Legion launched a new report calling for a stronger Covenant Duty, as part of our Keep the Covenant Promise campaign.
We welcome the Government’s commitment to bring the Covenant “fully into law” and its promise to extend the Covenant Duty across all public areas and levels of government, through the Armed Forces Bill in 2026.
However, the Government must go further and ensure the Duty is:
- Delivered consistently: There must be clear guidance that sets consistent national standards of Covenant Duty delivery across the country.
- Backed by enough funding to support delivery: A dedicated programme with accessible tools and resources to ensure staff in organisations covered by the Duty fully understand its purpose.
- Properly measured so its impact is clear: This is crucial to achieve continued improvement of services and meet the changing needs of the Armed Forces community.
Will you join us in holding the Government to account? Click here to find out more.
What is the Covenant?
The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, including the bereaved, should be treated with fairness and respect in society.
The Background to our campaign:
Following a campaign led by the Royal British Legion and Poppyscotland, the Armed Forces Covenant was introduced in the UK in 2011.
This was followed by the introduction of the Armed Forces Covenant Duty in 2022, which required local authorities and certain public bodies to take the Covenant into account in healthcare, education and housing.
Significant gaps exist, with many policy areas, such as social care, compensation and employment, not currently covered by the Duty.
We know that those who move between the nations of the UK or into different council areas often face difficulties accessing or transferring services across different parts of the country.
Also, people don’t know about the Armed Forces Covenant.
An August 2025 survey conducted by YouGov for RBL found that 67% of people in the UK had never heard of the Covenant, and only 15% said that they had heard of it and knew something about it.
It’s time for the Government to Keep the Covenant Promise by strengthening the Covenant Duty to ensure it provides meaningful, consistent and lasting support for the Armed Forces community.
