Rural Payments Agency
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-10)

We, the undersigned, commit to honour the Armed Forces Covenant and support the Armed Forces Community. We recognise the value Serving Personnel, both Regular and Reservists, Veterans and military families contribute to our business and our country.

The Armed Forces Covenant

An enduring covenant between the people of the United Kingdom, Her Majesty’s Government and all those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces of the Crown and their families

The first duty of Government is the defence of the realm. Our Armed Forces fulfil that responsibility on behalf of the Government, sacrificing some civilian freedoms, facing danger and, sometimes, suffering serious injury or death as a result of their duty. Families also play a vital role in supporting the operational effectiveness of our Armed Forces. In return, the whole nation has a moral obligation to the members of the Naval Service, the Army and the Royal Air Force, together with their families. They deserve our respect and support, and fair treatment.

Those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.

This obligation involves the whole of society: it includes voluntary and charitable bodies, private organisations, and the actions of individuals in supporting the Armed Forces. Recognising those who have performed military duty unites the country and demonstrates the value of their contribution. This has no greater expression than in upholding this Covenant.

Section 1: Principles of the Armed Forces Corporate Covenant

1.1 We Rural Payments Agency will endeavour in our business dealings to uphold the key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, which are:
- no member of the Armed Forces Community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen;
- and in some circumstances that special treatment may be appropriate especially for the injured or bereaved.
Section 2: Demonstrating our commitment

2.1 Rural Payments Agency recognises the value serving personnel, reservists, veterans and military families bring to our business. We will seek to uphold the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, by pledging to the following:
- Armed Forces Friendly
- UK Service Veterans And Leavers
- UK Service Spouses And Partners
- Flexible Leave For Spouses
- UK Reservists
- UK Cadets
- Armed Forces Day
- Reserve Forces Day
We also pledge the following:

Promoting the fact that we are an Armed Forces-friendly organisation and ensuring our customers, stakeholders and employees understand our support for the Armed Forces community and their families; Seeking to support all Rural Payments Agency employees who have links with, or an interest in, the Armed Forces; Supporting the employment of UK veterans and reservists, and service spouses and partners, and encouraging applications from all sections of the community; Seeking to support the employment of Service Leavers by working to create a tailored pathway to job opportunities at Rural Payments Agency. We will do this by advertising job opportunities on the Career Transition Pathway (CTP) careers site, attending CTP careers events, tailoring job placements and providing reasonable adjustments for those with disabilities Continuing to support our employees who choose to be members of the Reserve Forces, including supporting their training and deployment where possible. This includes offering fifteen days paid special leave for annual training and accommodating any deployments consistent with our existing policies; Supporting our Cadet Force Adult Volunteers and instructors, including granting five days paid special leave per year to attend their annual camp or special instructional courses providing they are held under naval, military or air force auspices; Encouraging volunteering activities by our employees, including engagement with and/or fund raising for registered Armed Forces charities, particularly around Remembrance season, celebrating Armed Forces Day and Reserves Day with fund raising activities and supporting the wearing of uniform for reservists working in the Rural Payments Agency. Actively supporting Armed Forces community events such as awards, working groups and exhibitions to raise awareness of Rural Payments Agency support for the Armed Forces

2.2 We will publicise these commitments through our literature and/or on our website, setting out how we will seek to honour them and inviting feedback from the Service community and our customers on how we are doing.