Originally Posted by
Speedywheels
I suspect there are some crossed wires on this thread. The item in your wallet is the Defence Discount Service card which provides discount services from a host of retailers and service providers. The new Veteran’s card is an ID and will carry your photo for recognition purposes.
Quoting the government website “Veteran Cards have two primary functions: to ensure that veterans can quickly verify their status to access public and charitable sector support if they need it and to provide a recognition of service in the Armed Forces. The service will officially launch by the end of January 2024”
I presume the DDS card will be obsoleted by the Veteran’s ID card.
No, mine is the veterans ID card, which loosely resembles the MOD form 90 - for obvious reasons I won't post a photograph of it here. I have yet to find a regular use for it; it has not been accepted as a form of photo ID except as part of a wider application for my TFL Veteran disability travel card. It has a 10 year shelf life.
I do have a DDS card and used that last Summer for discounts on DFDS channel crossings; tbh it was hardly worth the hassle as I had to speak with an operator, who was very helpful, to get the 10% discount. I suppose the savings allowed me to get s bottle of wine or two in France.
On the matter of the TfL travel card, I had to provide up to date evidence that I was still in receipt of my service invaliding pension, and initially they rejected the application as the correspondence I sent was more than 12 months old. Veterans UK very kindly sent me a letter outlining my entitlement which was accepted by TFL Of all the discounts that are available, for me the TFL one is worth the most. It saves about £10 a day when traveling in London, which is several days a week.