Sunderland Labour will tonight push for increased support for service personnel.
In a Motion that will be tabled by Cllr Catherine Hunter, Labour will back the “Credit their Service” campaign, which demands an end to the means testing of veterans applying for state welfare benefits.
The national campaign was started by the Royal British Legion strives to end the treatment of military compensation as income, by welfare benefit means tests. This currently results in veterans and their families missing out on thousands of pounds a year.
Over 150,000 veterans and their families receive compensation awarded by the government for pain and loss endured in service to HM Armed Forces. Compensation is considered income when determining eligibility for many benefits, while civil compensation awarded by courts, such as personal injury or medical negligence compensation, is exempt.
Cllr Hunter said: “Our veterans and their families deserve the best. Whether that is care, support or simply recognition of their service, they have undoubtedly earned the right to be looked after for what they have given, and the sacrifices they have made.
“Compensation is not income and, by doing that, this government wants to be seen to be giving to service personnel with one hand, while they take it straight back with the other – and this must stop.
“Sunderland Labour is proud to back this Royal British Legion effort. Were it not for this fantastic organisation and its relentless work with and for veterans, we would not know about many important issues impacting on those who bravely served their country.”
Sunderland Labour wants the City Council to use its discretionary powers to make sure that they do not treat service personnel compensation as income, and councillors are urging the government to amend benefit regulations, so military compensation is not considered income by means tests.
Labour Leader, Cllr Graeme Miller, said: “The current system is unfair and the way it is administered puts veterans and their families at risk of missing out on thousands of pounds a year.
“Sunderland Labour believes this is totally unacceptable, and a situation that must be rectified urgently. Councils must back this important campaign and hold the government’s feet to the fire until ministers take meaningful action and finally do the right thing for our veterans.”
Currently, benefits paid out by local Councils, including Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, Discretionary Housing Payments, and Disabled Facilities Grants can all be means tested. The British Legion estimates that over 10,000 local benefit awards per year involve military compensation, while four in five (80%) British councils treat this as income.
Over 150,000 veterans and their families receive compensation awarded by the government for the pain and loss they endured in service, and of one million veterans over 65 in the 2021 Census, an estimated 146,000 were eligible for Pension Credit.