Councils Fail To Implement Government Policy On Housing Veterans
5 min read
Councils including those run by Labour have failed to implement the government’s policy to help house all UK armed forces veterans despite Keir Starmer promising to give them all a “guaranteed roof over their head”, PoliticsHome has learned.
Under new legislation brought in by the Labour government in December 2024, no veterans – no matter when they left the armed forces – should need to hold a connection to a local area to qualify for housing help from the council.
Previously, in local authorities that apply a local connection rule, veterans needed to have left the armed forces within five years to be exempt from it.
But several local councils have failed to implement the new policy, watered it down, or not updated their guidance online, PoliticsHome can reveal.
Some councils have correctly removed the five-year stipulation, but mandated that only those veterans in “urgent housing need” – not just any veteran looking for social housing – would qualify.
In housing minister Matthew Pennycook’s own constituency, the Labour-controlled Royal Borough of Greenwich says only former armed forces and other service personnel “in urgent housing need” will be exempt from the local connection requirement. Sandwell Council in West Bromwich, also controlled by Labour, holds the same stipulation.
A Royal Borough of Greenwich spokesperson said: “Greenwich has more than 28,000 people on our housing register with high numbers of at-risk residents also seeking housing.”
Sandwell Council did not respond to a request for comment.
Melissa Birdsall, public policy manager at the Royal British Legion, added that the RBL is “aware of reports that some local councils have yet to implement the government’s new policy removing the five-year local connection requirement for veterans accessing social housing”.
Elsewhere, councils have not updated their guidance online to reflect the new policy. Both Liberal Democrat-controlled Portsmouth City Council and Labour-controlled Birmingham City Council claim to have implemented the government’s new policy, but are yet to update their online guidance. Portsmouth says it is waiting for a council meeting in September to sign off on the new policy before updating it online.
Veterans have voiced frustration that local authorities are not being held to account in implementing these changes properly.
Stu Mendelson, a veteran who co-founded veteran community group The Muster Point, said: “The country bangs on about how much we owe our service men and women in the armed forces, yet these people that have a legal obligation to look after veterans just seem to turn a blind eye.”
Mendelson accused local authorities of breaking the Covenant Duty – a legal obligation to abide by the Armed Forces Covenant – by not implementing the government’s new policy. The Covenant says that “special consideration” must be paid to “those who have given most, such as the injured” when it comes to accessing housing, education and healthcare.
Watford Borough Council initially denied access to temporary accommodation for a veteran who had been admitted to hospital after struggling with alcohol addiction, and who was previously evicted from his rented accommodation. The veteran had been medically discharged from the armed forces in 2024 due to PTSD, and also suffered from a physical injury to his leg.
Despite this, Watford Borough Council initially said the veteran did not meet the threshold for priority need.
“They didn’t prioritise him because they didn't find him vulnerable,” said Mendelson. “Even after highlighting different parts of legislation in the Armed Forces Covenant, Watford borough council seemed adamant that that was not their finding, and they were steadfast on that.”
“It's a complete shambles. What has the country come to? Sometimes I look at that, and I think 18 years of service – for what?” the veteran told PoliticsHome. “One of my biggest concerns, is that I have the capacity to speak, but there are many veterans out there who don't and so suffer in silence.”
Watford Borough Council has since reversed its decision. This came after the veteran was forced to wait in hospital for more than four weeks after being cleared for discharge, as the council would not accept it had a duty to house them temporarily. The veteran is now staying in a hotel.
Councillor Jennifer Pattinson, portfolio holder for Housing and Wellbeing at the council, said: “We are unable to comment on specific cases due to GDPR. In the case of an individual requesting information on their personal circumstances, we would recommend they contact council staff for advice and support or submit a Subject Access Request.
“We welcome the recent national change to remove the requirement for servicemen and servicewomen to have served within the last five years in order to access social housing. However, clearer guidance is still needed on how veterans are assessed for temporary accommodation, so we can ensure they receive the best possible support."
Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said: “These reports are hugely concerning. Veterans served our country and should never be disadvantaged because of that fact.
"That's why, in 2011, we introduced the Armed Forces Covenant. This exists to recognise the unique obligations of, and sacrifices made by, our armed forces.”
A government spokesperson said: “We have been absolutely clear that councils should not be applying local connection tests, so veterans do not face unfair barriers to accessing social housing.
“We strongly expect councils to introduce these changes and will follow up with any council where we are aware this is not the case.”
