CTP vs TAP: UK and US Military Transition Support Compared (2026)

The UK and US both run formal transition programmes for people leaving the armed forces. In the UK it is the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), which can start up to two years before discharge and, for most leavers, continues for up to two years after. In the US it is the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), which is mandatory and must start no later than 365 days before separation. CTP scales support by length of service and adds funded learning. TAP gives every eligible member the same core curriculum, then a choice of specialist tracks. This guide compares the two step by step and lists who to contact.

CTP and TAP side by side

How the UK Career Transition Partnership works

The CTP is the Ministry of Defence's resettlement service. Your entitlement depends on how long you served, as set out in the gov.uk guidance on employment support:

Core Resettlement Programme users can take up to 35 days of Graduated Resettlement Time, depending on length of service. Personnel over 50 with more than 30 years' service can start resettlement earlier. If you left more than two years ago, gov.uk directs you to its separate guidance on finding a job as a veteran.

Enhanced Learning Credits

Eligible personnel can also claim Enhanced Learning Credits (ELC) towards qualifications at Level 3 or above in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or Level 6 or above on the Scottish framework. According to MOD Discover My Benefits, a lower-tier claim is worth £1,000 and a higher-tier claim £2,000, paid once in each of up to three separate financial years. Three lower-tier claims can be combined into a single £3,000 claim. You pay at least 20% of the fees yourself and must submit claims at least 25 clear working days before the course starts. Qualifying service periods are set out in JSP 822; your Education Centre or Service Resettlement Adviser can confirm your eligibility. Our guide to ELCAS and Standard Learning Credits explains the scheme in detail.

How UK leavers fare

The MOD's CTP statistics for 2024/25 show that 86% of leavers who used the service and reported an outcome were employed six months after leaving, 7% were unemployed and 8% were economically inactive. Employment fell from 88% the year before.

Beyond CTP: Veterans Services

The MOD's Veterans Services brings together the Veterans Welfare Service and Defence Transition Services. It helps personnel leaving in the next two years, veterans and immediate family with mental and physical health, housing, money and benefits, employment, relationship breakdown and compensation claims. Call 0808 1914 218 (option 6) from England, Scotland or Wales, Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm, or use the online referral form. Have your service number and National Insurance number ready. The team aims to contact you within 5 working days. The Forces Employment Charity (0121 262 3058) also supports service leavers, veterans, reservists and families regardless of rank, length of service or reason for leaving.

How the US Transition Assistance Program works

TAP is an interagency programme under 10 U.S.C. 1144. The Air Force Personnel Center's TAP overview sets out the sequence that applies to separating and retiring members:

1. Initial Counseling: a one-to-one session with a TAP counsellor, a self-assessment and the start of your Individual Transition Plan. Start no later than 365 days before transition.
2. Pre-separation counselling: benefits, entitlements and resources. Spouses and caregivers are encouraged to attend.
3. DoD Transition Day: a mandatory day covering resilience, a military occupational code crosswalk for translating your skills, and a financial planning module.
4. VA Benefits and Services: a briefing on Department of Veterans Affairs benefits.
5. Department of Labor one-day workshop: Employment Fundamentals of Career Transition, covering job search tools.
6. Two-day tracks: choose at least one from the Department of Labor employment and vocational tracks, the DoD education track and the Small Business Administration entrepreneurship track.
7. Capstone: no later than 90 days before separation, your commander verifies that you meet career readiness standards and have a viable transition plan.

The Department of Labor's TAP service adds one-to-one career help through its Employment Navigator and Partnership Program, Transition Employment Assistance for Military Spouses (TEAMS) workshops for spouses and caregivers, and an online workshop for wounded, ill or injured members.

SkillBridge

DoD SkillBridge lets service members spend up to 180 days of permissive duty, in their last 180 days of service, training or interning with an industry partner while keeping military pay and benefits. A field grade commander must approve it in writing. Partners named by the programme include Amazon, John Deere, Lockheed Martin and UnitedHealth Group. The UK has no direct equivalent. The nearest is Graduated Resettlement Time, up to 35 days for Core Resettlement Programme users.

The main differences

• Compulsion. TAP is mandatory for eligible US members, with a commander's sign-off at Capstone. CTP is an entitlement you choose to use, and 70% of 2024/25 UK leavers used a billable CTP service.
• Timing after discharge. CTP support runs for up to two years after discharge for most leavers. TAP is designed to finish before separation, after which veterans move to VA and Department of Labor services.
• Funded learning. CTP links to Enhanced Learning Credits. In the US, education funding comes through VA benefits such as the GI Bill, covered in our guide to using the GI Bill in the UK.
• Work placements. SkillBridge offers up to six months with an employer on full military pay, a longer runway than UK resettlement time.