Political opinion: Horsham MP backs campaign for fair treatment of veterans

Lib Dem MP John Milne is backing the Royal British Legion’s Credit Their Service campaign, calling for veterans and their families to receive the same treatment as civilians when their income is assessed for benefits.  

The campaign is seeking to address an injustice in the benefits system whereby compensation awarded to veterans for illness, injury or bereavement resulting from their service can be treated as income when assessing eligibility for certain means-tested benefits.  

The Royal British Legion argues that veterans should receive parity with civilians who receive compensation in comparable circumstances, rather than being disadvantaged because of compensation awarded in recognition of their military service.  

John Milne MP has raised the issue in Parliament and met with the Defence Minister to press for fairer treatment and clearer guidance for councils, helping to ensure there is no postcode lottery in support.  

The campaign focuses on four benefits administered by local authorities: Council Tax Reduction, Housing Benefit, the Crisis and Resilience Fund, and Disabled Facilities Grants. Councils have discretion over whether compensation payments are disregarded when assessing eligibility.  

In Horsham, District Councillor Tony Bevis has been closely involved in the campaign, helping to improve the council’s score to nine out of 12 on the Royal British Legion’s assessment.  

The campaign was also raised at the West Sussex Armed Forces Conference in October, highlighting the importance of ensuring that veterans are not disadvantaged when accessing financial support.  

Liberal Democrat MP for Horsham, John Milne, said:   “Veterans who have been injured, become ill or lost loved ones through their service should not be penalised when they need financial support.  

“This is not about giving veterans favourable treatment. It is about ensuring they receive the same treatment as civilians. The Armed Forces Covenant promises that members of the Armed Forces community should face no disadvantage because of their service, and that principle needs to mean something in practice.  

“There should not be a postcode lottery when it comes to support for those who have served our country, and I will continue pressing the Government to change the rules for these cases.”  

Horsham District Councillor Tony Bevis said:   “The Royal British Legion assesses whether compensation payments are in fact disregarded, scores each benefit from zero to three and plots the results on a map of all the districts and boroughs in England.  

“When I first encountered the campaign, Horsham District Council scored three out of 12. By working with council officers and the Royal British Legion to clarify policies and processes, that score has since improved to nine.  

“The benefits of the campaign have been to heighten the need for the Council to understand the unique situation of veterans, to do a deep dive into processes and improve them, and to realise the negative impact of not doing the right thing for our veterans.”