COMMENT: Lies, damned lies & homelessness statistics.

 The Bullshit Detector - CLICK TO READ REPORT

It's not often that we showcase a report about the numbers of homeless veterans in Britain without a collective sigh of despair, but this is that rare exception. It first appeared on July 2013 in The Bullshit Detector and is resurrected here now because Veterans Aid is still regularly fielding calls from individuals who believe that 'nothing is done for veterans' and that vast numbers of them (as a result of their military service!) are being forced into homelessness.

Our archive of published  reports and reportage - based often on tales told to gullible journalists, those driving campaigns or just the well-meaning uninformed - reveals a catalogue of inconsistency, exaggeration and nonsense. 

No wonder then that the response of everyone from members of the public to senior politicians is one of outrage, that  new charities are proliferating and that misplaced passion about scare stories is deflecting people from the real issues.

So thank you, Jeremy Swain, for using the platform of The Bullshit Detector to  echo our frustration.

COMMENTS: VA support for Foreign & Commonwealth service personnel acknowledged as Bill gets Third Reading

House of Commons debates - Friday 17 January 2014

VA's work in championing the cause of Foreign & Commonwealth service and ex-service personnel often appears to take place below the radar but today, at the Third Reading of Jonathan Lord's Private Members Bill calling for anomalies to be addressed, it was clearly acknowledged.

Citizenship (Armed Forces) Bill - Third Reading

"The Bill enables us to remove the disadvantage faced by those forces and ex-forces personnel who happened to be outside the United Kingdom serving their country on day one of the five-year qualifying period for naturalisation. The Bill gives the Home Secretary the necessary discretion to overlook the current requirement in schedule 1 to the British Nationality Act 1981. The hon. Member for Croydon North (Mr Reed) asked whether the Bill is retrospective, and it is to that extent. Once the Bill is enacted, for anyone applying for naturalisation we will look back five years to what they were doing at that time, and the Bill will enable the Home Secretary to use her discretion, where appropriate, to overlook absences for service. The Bill will benefit people as soon as it gets on to the statute book. We will not have to wait five years for it to kick in, which is very helpful."  - The Minister for Immigration (Mr Mark Harper):

For full text see: Citizenship (Armed Forces) Bill




Extracts:

Guy Opperman:

Anything that implements the military covenant, as this Bill does in a small but significant way, is a very good thing. What is the attitude of the various armed forces charities, which we all support, be it the Royal British Legion, Help for Heroes or Veterans Aid? What is their approach to the Bill?

The Minister for Immigration (Mr Mark Harper): 
The other organisation, already mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for Hexham, is Veterans Aid, which warmly welcomes the change. Veterans Aid works for a range of former service personnel, and it works very hard for those who have had mental illness. I worked closely with the organisation when I was a shadow Defence Minister, and it works closely with foreign and Commonwealth personnel who have fallen foul of the system. Indeed, I met Dr Hugh Milroy, the organisation’s excellent chief executive, just yesterday to talk through some of the issues, and he has a very close working relationship both with my officials and with officials in the Ministry of Defence. Veterans Aid does excellent casework to support former members of our armed forces, both British citizens and foreign and Commonwealth personnel.

COMMENT: In caring for our veterans, where does the buck stop?

While most of the nation was literally doing 'cold turkey and chocolate overload' two thought-provoking items appeared in The Times.

From the illustrious Thunderer column CEO of Veterans Aid Dr Hugh Milroy once again called for the creation of a Department of Veterans Affairs and  Military Covenant with effective 'teeth'!

THE TIMES: Thursday, December 26th, 2013.

THUNDERER: Dr Hugh Milroy

See link.

THE TIMES: Thursday, December 26th, 2013.

Deborah Haynes, Defence Editor

See link.

COMMENT: Hostel of Hope

Never are the 'haves' and 'have nots' more polarised than at Christmas. Those lucky enough to have  warm homes and large TVs are reminded, relentlessly, over the holiday period how many charities are out there, seeking support, donations and help to raise awareness of their work. Images of starvation, privation and deprivation punctuate feelgood festive viewing, reminding everyone how lucky they are.

Veterans Aid doesn't advertise much - but it's happy to share the news that Christmas Day at its own East London hostel, New Belvedere House,  was a warm and happy event. An eye-wateringly lavish feast of turkey, ham, pork, puddings, fruit and sweets was served up on  former Beatle Ringo Starr's old snooker table, Santa stopped off at every room and gifts from friends and supporters piled up high. Many of the men for whom this place is a temporary home once slept on the streets. Hopefully none of them will ever need to again.Never moreso than at Christmas is there evidence that Veterans Aid is a place of hope.

COMMENT: Rowntree report put crisis into perspective.

Why are veterans homeless?' VA is frequently asked. Has military service rendered them incapable of holding down jobs, sustaining relationships or getting through the day without drugs or alcohol? Are they so damaged by PTSD or horrific physical injuries that they are driven to the streets in desperation?  While this may actually be true in a tiny number of cases, the majority experience problems that relate to life - not military life, just 'life'. This sobering report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation puts crisis into perspective.

This study looks at measures of low income, deprivation and other types of

disadvantage. Low income (or poverty) is defined as people living in households

with income below 60 per cent of the median for that year. In the last two years, median income has fallen substantially, a fall that itself affects the number of people in poverty. (*See full report HERE.)

MONITORING POVERTY AND SOCIAL EXCLUSION 2013

The latest annual report from the New Policy Institute brings together the most recent data to present a comprehensive picture of poverty in the UK.

Key points:

•In 2011/12, 13 million people in the UK were living in poverty. For the first time more than half of these people lived in a working family.

•The proportion of pensioners in poverty is at its lowest for almost 30 years. The proportion of working-age adults without children in poverty is the highest on record.

•Average incomes have fallen by 8 per cent since their peak in 2008. As a result, around 2 million people have a household income below the 2008 poverty line but are not considered to be in poverty today.

•In the last year, the labour market has shown signs of revival. Underemployment has fallen slightly from 6.4 million to 6.3 million and young adult unemployment appears to have peaked at 21 per cent.

•The number of people in low-paid jobs has risen. There are now around 5 million people paid below the living wage.

•The movement in and out of work is substantial – 4.8 million different people have claimed Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) – in the last two years.

•Following recent changes to the social security system, many people on means-tested benefits have reduced incomes. Around 500,000 families face a cut in housing benefit via the under-occupationpenalty and a reduction in Council Tax Benefit. The number of sanctioned jobseekers with a reduced entitlement to JSA doubled in 2010 to around 800,000.

•The level of benefits for an out-of-work adult without children now covers only 40 per cent of what the public considers to be a minimum standard of living. For families with children this figure is no more than 60 per cent.

•National averages mask huge variations between areas in unemployment, educational achievement, and life expectancy.

CASENOTES: The Art of Survival

What's going on here? All will be revealed soon! But for those who thought that VA's December 2012 'Art of Survival' exhibition was the end of the story - think again.

Many of the men who took part have moved on, in all sorts of ways. Several have taken their art and/or photography to another level and a few have sold further works and exhibited.

The interview taking place here is part of the National Army Museum’s 'Piece Makers' project in which the work of Michael Crossan (inset) will feature.

COMMENT: Crises don't last for ever

Veterans Aid welcomed a visitor recently; 91-years-young and enjoying life. He didn't come for help -  just to say hello to the team and have a cup of tea. William  served on HMS Kenya and has had links with the charity since 1971 when he had a bit of a 'wobble' and needed accommodation.
And today? He's just fine.