Chancellor announces £33 million for veteran services in today’s budget
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced a £33 million funding package to support veterans over the next three years. The Veteran Capital Housing Fund will receive £20 million and the Veterans Mobility Fund, which provides support for veterans with serious physical injuries, will be extended by £3 million. The Office for Veteran’s Affairs will receive the remaining £10 million to increase the service and engagement provided to veterans over the next two years.
The Chancellor also announced:
- The 5p cut to fuel duty on petrol and diesel will be kept for another year.
- Government subsidies limiting typical household energy bills to £2,500 extended until the end of June
- Defence spending will be raised by £11 billion over the next five years.
Reacting to the budget, Jeff Harrison, CEO of Combat Stress said: “We welcome the increase in funding for veterans to have better housing and more money for those who sustained physical injuries during their service, as well as the extension of the energy subsidy and cut on fuel duty.
“However, here at Combat Stress we know that many veterans who are struggling with the cost of living put the needs of others before themselves, to the detriment of their own mental health. We know there’s still a significant need and more needs to be done.
“We look forward to continuing our constructive discussions with the Office for Veteran’s Affairs about the support we need to deliver our life-saving treatment to veterans in their darkest hour.”