April 2026 Veteran Community Stakeholder Sessions (Please note: these sessions are for organisations outside the DWP only)
Since we were established in 2019, the Disability Services Advocacy Team has worked to understand and support the veteran and armed forces community and their needs. This has involved working collaboratively with veteran stakeholders and the wider veteran community.
Our aim has been to support the upskilling of our disability benefits, in particular looking at Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and Access to Work (AtW). These benefits and grants help support independence as well as helping individuals find and retain work.
This year we are hosting talks from fantastic veteran and armed forces charities and organisations; The Forcer Protocol, Fighting with Pride and the Female Veteran Transformation Program. All three focus on enhancing the experience of the veteran community.
In addition to this our DWP Armed Forced Champions are introducing their role, the essential work they do and providing insight into the work they have undertaken in the last year to support the veteran community. Jan Atkinson, Veteran and DWP visiting officer is joining the call to share his lived experience of receiving support from the DWP.
At the end of each session, we will have time for feedback and questions & answers.
Please note: You are required to enter the password BEFORE entering the session page on Eventbrite.
All session passwords are: VETERANS26
How we can support the Veterans PIP Journey 09:00-11:00
This session will cover key stages of the Personal Independence Payment journey. It will break down each touch point to explain how and what we can do to support the veteran & armed forces community to have a more successful journey and outcome.
We will be joined by one of our assessment provider stakeholder leads and a health care
professional with lived experience of personally supporting a veteran through the PIP journey.
15/04/2026 09:00-11:00
Register here: https://PIP-Veteran-15-04-26.eventbrite.co.uk Password: VETERANS26
22/04/2026 09:00-11:00
Register here: https://PIP-Veteran-22-04-26.eventbrite.co.uk Password: VETERANS26
Access to Work and the Health Adjustment Passport 11:15-12:00
This session will cover the information and awareness needed to support anyone in the veteran and wider armed forces community who has a disability or condition and is thinking of having an interview, starting work, increasing their hours or needs support to remain in work. We will also touch on the Service leavers Adjustment Passport.
15/04/2026 11:15-12:00
Register here: https://AtW-HAP-15-04-26.eventbrite.co.uk Password: VETERANS26
22/04/2026 11:15-12:00
Register here: https://AtW-HAP-22-04-26.eventbrite.co.uk Password: VETERANS26
The Forcer Protocol 12:45-13:45
The Forcer Protocol is a life-saving preventative measure for UK veterans and serving personnel, including reservists. Founder Claire Lilley and PC Paul Carpenter (veteran) will cover what the
Forcer Protocol is, why it is so important and how to register.
15/04/2026 12:45-13:45
Register here: https://Forcer-Protocol-15-04-26.eventbrite.co.uk Password: VETERANS26
22/04/2026 12:45-13:45
Register here: https://Forcer-Protocol-22-04-26.eventbrite.co.uk Password: VETERANS26
Fighting with Pride (an Armed Forces LGBTQ+ Charity) 14:00-15:00
Hosted by Fighting with Pride CEO Peter Gibson, this session will include an introduction to Fighting with Pride, a history of the ban, the Etherton Review and the current reparations landscape for Veterans.
15/04/26 14:00-15:00
Register here: https://Fighting-w-Pride-15-04-26.eventbrite.co.uk Password: VETERANS26
22/04/26 14:00-15:00
Register here: https://Fighting-w-Pride-22-04-26.eventbrite.co.uk Password: VETERANS26
DWP Armed Forces Champions 15:15-16:30
This session is an introduction into how DWP Armed Forces Champions support veterans, service leavers and their families. The session will share key successes from their work, while signposting the ongoing support available to stakeholders.
This session will include a talk from Jan Atkinson who will talk about their lived experience as a veteran who received support from an armed forces champion.
15/04/2026 15:15-16:30
Register here: https://DWP-AFC-15-04-26.eventbrite.co.uk Password: VETERANS26
22/04/2026 15:15-16:30
Register here: https://DWP-AFC-22-04-26.eventbrite.co.uk Password: VETERANS26
Supporting Veterans through PIP a Change of Circumstances Review 09:30-11:00
This session covers how and when to report a change of circumstances review, how to complete the form and useful evidence to support.
The session will focus on the veteran and armed forces community, and we will be joined by a Clinical Support Lead and Customer Experience Manager from our assessment providers.
29/04/26 09:30-11:00
Register here: https://Veterans-CofC-29-04-26.eventbrite.co.uk Password: VETERANS26
The Female Veterans’ Transformation Programme 11:30-12:30
The Female Veterans’ Transformation Programme has created a toolkit to for use by the commercial, statutory, and charitable sectors, with the goal of transforming service provision for female veterans.
Project lead Liza Jarvis and Veteran and Communications Lead & Engagement Officer Stacey
Denyer will cover what is included in the toolkit, how to best utilise it and how it can enhance the support that you offer female veterans.
29/04/2026 11:30-12:30
Register here: https://The-FVTP-29-04-26.eventbrite.co.uk Password: VETERANS26
Useful Information
- Registration via Eventbrite is required to attend our sessions.
- The session will be delivered over Microsoft Teams; the joining link will be issued via a calendar invite roughly one week before the session.
- Presentation slides will be issued following the sessions.
- These sessions are intended for charities and organisations that provide free support to veterans and the armed forces community managing their DWP benefits and grants.
- If you need to contact the team, please contact us on the below email address: advocacyteam@dwp.gov.uk
