The Bevin Boys scheme was introduced in 1943 by the then Minister for Labour and National Service, Ernest Bevin, in response to an increasing shortage of labour in the coalmining industry.
The scheme ran between 1943 and 1948, and involved recruiting men aged between 18 and 25 years to work in coalmines rather than serve in the armed forces. Some 48,000 men worked in the mines under the scheme.
The Bevin Boys Veteran Badge scheme was announced on 20 June 2007, in recognition of the contribution made by the Bevin Boys who worked in the UK coalfields during and immediately after World War Two.
In March 2008 the first of these badges were awarded.
All surviving Bevin Boys who, either through compulsion or volunteering, worked in the mines under the Bevin Boys Scheme are entitled to receive the veteran’s badge. The widows of Bevin Boys who died on or after 20 June 2007, when the badge was introduced, and fall into the above category, are also eligible.
Contacts
If you have any queries about eligibility for the scheme, please contact the Coal Liabilities Unit by:
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