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Veterans UK
21 June 2023
Lead MP
Gill Furniss
Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough
Lab
Responding Minister
Andrew Murrison
Tags
NHSDefenceBenefits & WelfareStandards & Ethics
Word Count: 8538
Other Contributors: 4
At a Glance
Gill Furniss raised concerns about veterans uk in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The speaker urges the government to review and improve veterans' services thoroughly and promptly, release the LGBT veterans independent review report urgently, implement Lord Etherton's recommendations, and expedite the rollout of veteran ID cards promised by the end of 2023.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The speaker is concerned about the poor experiences of veterans with Veterans UK, highlighting that over 75% of respondents to a survey rated their overall experience as either poor or very poor. The APPG on veterans' research revealed distressing comments from respondents indicating that interactions with the organisation had broken them mentally and in some cases led to suicidal thoughts. Additionally, there are issues with the armed forces compensation scheme, which is described as overly burdensome and lacking transparency by an independent reviewer. Further problems include longer waiting times for medical treatment and a significant rise in veterans relying on universal credit due to the cost of living crisis.
Flick Drummond
Con
Brighton Kemptown
Praised veterans for their contributions to society and highlighted issues with the digitisation of veterans' records, including delays due to lost documents. Noted that medical assessments by non-specialist clinicians are a concern and urged Veterans UK to work closely with VAPCs to streamline processes. Ms Drummond suggested using scanned documents or NHS digital records to speed up the process for obtaining medical evidence required for compensation claims.
Navendu Mishra
Lab
Stockport
Expressed concerns about the lack of additional funding for veterans due to cost of living increases, noting that food banks are being used by some veterans and serving personnel. Highlighted issues with the armed forces covenant not being legally binding and the need for greater government support for third sector organisations helping veterans.
Owen Thompson
SNP
Midlothian
Mr Thompson highlighted the dissatisfaction among veterans regarding Veterans UK, noting that only 6% of respondents to a survey felt they had received good service. He criticised the organisation for hindering rather than helping veterans and called for immediate improvements to support services, including addressing issues related to moral injury and mental health assessments.
Rachel Hopkins
Lab
Luton South and South Bedfordshire
Ms Hopkins highlighted the Labour party's commitment to the armed forces community, noting their essential role in national security. She expressed concern over declining acceptance rates for veterans seeking compensation through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, with successful claims dropping from 65% to 47% since 2011-12. Additionally, she mentioned that more than 50,000 veterans are now relying on universal credit due to financial difficulties caused by the cost of living crisis.
Government Response
Andrew Murrison
Government Response
Called out a wrong minister.
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Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.