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Veterans: Access to housing

What housing support is there for veterans?

Up to the point of discharge, the principal responsibility for providing housing information and advice to service personnel lies with the armed forces. These services are delivered by the Defence Transition Services team.

Following discharge, the housing support available will depend on an individual’s specific circumstances. Housing and homelessness policy is devolved; the assistance available differs in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In certain circumstances, veterans may:

• have a priority need for homelessness assistance from local authorities.

• attract additional preference when applying for social housing.

• be entitled to support through homeownership schemes, for example the Forces Help to Buy scheme.

• be entitled to a grant to fund adaptations to their home.

This briefing provides an overview of the housing support available to veterans across the UK, and includes a list of veterans’ charities and support organisations for further assistance.

Commons Library briefings on veterans’ issues

Our veterans’ collection of briefings provide information on support and services available to veterans on a variety of topics including: access to healthcare, employment and benefits, as well as information on compensation and pension schemes. Our briefings explain what the Armed Forces Covenant is and its status in law, the evolution of government policy towards veterans, and veteran-specific legislation.

Our data dashboard shows the number of veterans by constituency and lists the top 20 constituencies with the highest proportion of former armed forces personnel.