COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT News Release (081) issued by COI News Distribution
Service on 9 April 2009
Ex-servicemen and
women who are seriously injured are to be given priority for
specially adapted social homes, announced Housing Minister Iain
Wright today.
Councils are being instructed to treat seriously injured service
personnel as a priority when allocating modified housing, under
new guidance being issued today.
It will help to ensure better availability of specially adapted
housing with features like walk-in bathrooms, wider door frames,
lowered light switches, and entry slopes rather than steps, for
service personnel as part of the Government's commitment to
support those injured in the service of their country.
The guidance will also reinforce changes to help make sure all
members of the Armed Forces can also apply for social housing in
areas in which they were based during their service. Previously,
service personnel were restricted by the need to demonstrate a
local connection beyond having served there.
Iain Wright said:
"It is right that our servicemen and women who are seriously
injured fighting for their country are given the housing support
they deserve. These new rules mean service personnel must be
treated as priority for specially adapted homes. We are determined
to ensure our armed forces are recognised for their heroic efforts
and helped in their transition to civilian life and getting a home."
Defence Minister Kevan Jones said:
"We are determined to ensure that our seriously injured
service personnel are rewarded for their sacrifice with the best
possible package of support. It is only right that they are given
top priority for specially adapted homes to ensure that they and
their families can live in the best possible accommodation."
Director General of The Royal British Legion Chris Simpkins said:
"Housing was a key issue for the Legion's 'Honour
the Covenant' campaign, so we welcome this decision which
will be of real benefit to those who have given so much for their country.
"We welcome the steady progress being made to restore
balance to the Military Covenant, which this announcement
signifies and which is so important for our Armed Forces."
Today's announcement forms part of the Ministry of
Defence's Service Personnel Command Paper, a package of
cross-Government measures designed to end disadvantage experienced
by our Armed Forces, their families and veterans as a result of
Service. These measures - launched by the Defence Secretary last
July - include doubling compensation for injured personnel,
establishing community mental health schemes across the UK to
provide specialist care for veterans and improving access to
education for Service leavers.
Notes to editors
1. The circular is statutory guidance and be found at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/armedforcesallocations
2. Councils must have regard to it when exercising their
allocation functions. The circular:
(a) gives effect to a
commitment in the Ministry of Defence's Command Paper -
"The Nation's Commitment: Cross-Government Support to
our Armed Forces, their Families and Veterans" (July 2008) to
issue guidance about the priority to be given to seriously injured
service personnel, and
(b) takes account of amendments to
section 199 of the Housing Act 1996 made by section 315 of the
Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 which change the application of
the local connection test in respect of members of the armed forces.
3. Under changes announced to the local connection in the Housing
and Regeneration Act local authorities must make sure ex service
personnel applying for housing in the area near where they were
stationed are not penalised through not having a 'local
connection' to the area.
4. For more details on the MoD's Service Personnel Command
Paper, go to http://www.mod.uk/spcp
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