Stuart Anderson MP is calling on UK veterans and organisations to share their views and experiences in a consultation to help shape the future of veteran policies. The consultation seeks to gather detailed data on the needs of veterans and their families, how current policy interacts with those needs, and how the Government can best support them through targeted and tailored interventions. It is open to the public including veterans themselves and their families, and will cover a wide range of policy areas - focussing on subjects such as employment, housing, finance, public perception, and recognition of veterans.
The consultation is part of the commitment in the Veterans’ Strategy Action Plan to “develop a better understanding of our veteran community and their experiences.” The strategy sets out the Government’s commitment to making the UK the best place in the world to be a veteran. It will build on the range of existing academic and other research looking at the experiences of veterans and their families. The Government strongly encourages academic experts, charities, and other organisations with an interest in veterans issues to respond to this consultation. It is also keen to hear from businesses and employers of veterans. Competent authorities such as local authorities, NHS trusts, educational institutions (as well as other providers of services to veterans and their families) are encouraged to respond. This outcome of the consultation will allow the Government to identify any gaps in support and inform future policy supporting veterans, ultimately ensuring that services respond to need and deliver for veterans and their families.
The Government already launched its veterans’ data dashboard in February 2023. It contains data on the veteran community, including health and wellbeing, employment and housing, and a feedback tool to ensure we keep it updated based on user need. The Government has also delivered the ‘10 Things to know about a veteran’ publication to better enable service providers to work with veterans and their families. As part of this, it has partnered with Citizen's Advice to pilot this resource and to identify veterans seeking support from the charity. Data from this pilot will aid understanding of the current scale and type of need within the veteran community and whether this is being sufficiently met. In addition, the Government has funded a review of veterans’ user journeys and relevant content on GOV.UK in order to improve veterans’ access to services and information. Work is underway to implement the review’s recommendations.
Stuart Anderson MP said: “As a veteran, I am delighted to welcome the launch of this comprehensive consultation which will identify how the Government can better support veterans and their families through targeted and tailored interventions. The consultation will mark a step change in support for veterans by collating the evidence that we need to ensure we can deliver on our commitment to making the UK the best place in the world to be a veteran. I would encourage everyone associated with veterans affairs, including veterans and their families, to have their say. The feedback received will support future policy development across government."
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs The Rt Hon Johnny Mercer MP said: “If we want to continue adding meaningful value and ensure veterans and their families face no disadvantage compared to their civilian peers, it is vital that we understand more about them, their aspirations, their challenges and their capabilities, as well as the economic and social landscape that they face upon leaving service so that we can be targeted in our support. To do so, there is a need to continue to improve our evidence base. I am therefore publishing a comprehensive consultation on veterans, allowing the Government to evaluate if the policies and structures in place support veterans and their families to succeed in society, the workplace and their personal lives post-Service.”
This consultation closes at 5pm on 4 January 2024. The simplest way to respond to this consultation is through the online questionnaire available at: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/supporting-our-veterans-a-consultation