£5m Boost To Help Homeless Veterans

The Treasury has secured a £5 million boost for the Government’s first office dedicated to caring for Britain’s war veterans.

The money will help to tackle homelessness within the ex-forces community, whilst improving access to medical treatment and training opportunities.

The funding injection comes as part of Chancellor Sajid Javid's first Spending Round, expected to focus on public services such as defence, policing, healthcare and education.

Ahead of his spending review this week, Mr Javid said: "This Spending Round is focused on public services.

"And no-one has given more than the servicemen and women who lay their lives on the line for all of us.

"Supporting them when they leave service is not just our responsibility but also our duty, which is why we’ve made funding the launch of the Office of Veterans Affairs a top priority.

Healthcare, housing and employment opportunities are all within the remit of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, dedicated solely to improving the lives of veterans.

Minister for Defence People and Veterans Johnny Mercer said:

"We’re already hard at work bringing together the right people across government, and this new funding will be instrumental in making this vision a reality."

Minister for Veterans in the Cabinet Office, Oliver Dowden, was called to work alongside Johnny Mercer in July this year - aiming to offer "life-long support" for veterans, "from mental health to employment."

Commenting on the announcement, Mr Dowden said: "Now that we’ve secured this additional funding, we can use it to fight for them from the heart of Government, and make sure this country never lets down those heroes who risked their lives to keep us all safe."