‘More Funding Needed’ To Support Injured War Veterans

The Local Government Association (LGA) has said that more funding must be provided by ministers in order to protect injured war veterans as the current system means that those veterans receiving the War Disablement Pension can be forced to use it to pay for social care costs.

Former military personnel – who may now be seeking jobs for ex army officers – who were injured in service on or before April 5th 2005 receive the pension, but those veterans who were injured later are receive money from the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, which cannot be included in the means test when councils work out social care payments, the BBC reports.

According to the Royal British Legion, approximately 4,000 people who were injured before the rule change came in could be paying extra because of this anomaly.

"Some councils have looked at ways to subsidise the cost for veterans faced with having to hand over their weekly pension to fund care costs. However, pressures on council budgets and a social care funding gap growing at around £700m a year means this is something many are finding increasingly impossible to keep up,” Gary Porter, chairman of the LGA, said.

This comes as a study from Ulster University looks into the support and services available to veterans from Northern Ireland in a bid to increase awareness and better identify the needs of people making the transition from military to civilian life.

It is thought that Northern Ireland has a massive veteran community spanning several generations, including people who have served the world over in the army, navy or RAF.