Arun District Council has approved new measures to support veterans, in response to the Royal British Legion’s Credit Their Service campaign.
At a recent Housing and Wellbeing Committee meeting, councillors voted unanimously to disregard military compensation when veterans apply for housing benefit or disabled facilities grants.
Previously, compensation payments counted as income in means-tested assessments. The change means veterans will no longer be penalised, ensuring fairer access to support.
Councillor Mark Turner MBE, Armed Forces Champion at Arun District Council, said: “This is about doing the right thing. Our veterans have served with honour and deserve a system that recognises their sacrifice, not one that penalises them for it. Their service is often very challenging, and their life afterwards can be equally challenging, so I’m proud that the council is supporting the Royal British Legion’s campaign and standing up for our Armed Forces community.”
In a statement, The Royal British Legion welcomed the decision, stating: “The Royal British Legion congratulates Arun District Council for responding positively to the ‘Credit Their Service’ campaign. Up and down the country, some councils continue to unfairly treat Armed Forces compensation as income in means-tested benefits. It’s really good news for the Armed Forces community in the Arun area that the council has taken action to remove this injustice.”
Hannah Pearce, Director of Campaigns, Policy and Research at The Royal British Legion, added: “We want to thank Arun District Council for working with us and doing the right thing by veterans and the whole Armed Forces community. All councils in Great Britain have signed the Armed Forces Covenant, and this is a really good example of the tangible difference councils can make to some of the poorest veterans in their community.”
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