As the UK marks Armed Forces Week last week, Stephen Morgan MP used defence questions in the House of Commons today (Monday 26 June 2023) to bring up new figures which reveal that the number of veterans on Universal Credit has increased by 50% (16,400 veterans) in the last year.
The Portsmouth South representative raised the issue to understand what support is being provided to veterans to support them with their skills development to seek employment, and as part of his wider focus on ensuring the armed forces community gets the support they need, when they need it.
Responding to a written parliamentary question from Rachel Hopkins MP, Employment Minister Guy Opperman MP said that over 50,000 of Universal Credit claimants in April 2023 had previously served in the Armed Forces.
Broken Conservative promises mean veterans are not getting the employment support they deserve.
In 2019, the Government announced its plan to fund more than 100 Armed Forces Champions in jobcentres. However, the Veterans Strategy Action Plan confirmed that Ministers were pushing ahead with plans for only 50 Armed Forces Champions.
Raising these issues in the House of Commons today, Portsmouth South’s Stephen Morgan MP, said:
“The people of Portsmouth are proud of our armed forces, veterans and their families. It is the ultimate public service, yet Ministers are letting veterans down.
The Government’s review of welfare services for veterans has been long overdue. From the slow rollout of veterans’ ID cards to halving employment support, Ministers have been responsible for worsening veterans’ services over the past 13 years.
If review is to be successful, it must have veterans and their families at its heart.
That’s why I will continue to listen to the views of the local armed forces community and take action to speak up for our city’s service personnel and veterans to ensure they get the support they need, when they need it”.
The Minister responsible failed to answer the specific question. Stephen Morgan MP will continue to raise issues affecting service personnel, veterans and their families in Parliament to ensure a better deal from the Government.
