Homelessness charity calls for improved support for veterans across Wiltshire

A Wiltshire-based homelessness charity has thrown its support behind a national open letter calling for improved care and housing support for military veterans, warning that too many former service personnel are still slipping through the gaps once they leave the armed forces.

Given the county's long-standing military presence, from Salisbury Plain to the garrison towns of Tidworth and Bulford, campaigners say Wiltshire has a particular responsibility to make sure veterans leaving the forces are properly supported as they return to civilian life.

The charity, which works with people experiencing homelessness across South Wiltshire, says it regularly encounters former service personnel among those seeking help, some of whom struggled to access appropriate housing or mental health support in the months after leaving the military.

Organisers of the open letter argue that while dedicated schemes exist to help veterans into housing, provision can vary significantly depending on where someone lives, leaving some without the level of support enjoyed by veterans elsewhere in the country.

A spokesperson for the charity said the transition out of military life could be far harder than many people realised, particularly for those who had served for many years and found the shift to civilian routines, budgeting and housing applications more difficult than expected.

The letter, which has been signed by a number of homelessness and veterans' organisations, calls on the Government to ring-fence funding specifically for veteran housing support and to improve coordination between the Ministry of Defence, local councils and charities working in this area.

Locally, the charity says it has seen a steady, if modest, increase in veterans coming forward for support over the past year, though it stresses that official figures are likely to understate the true scale of the issue, given how reluctant some former service personnel can be to ask for help.

Mental health difficulties, including post-traumatic stress, are frequently cited as a contributing factor, alongside practical issues such as a lack of an established rental history or credit record after years living in service accommodation.

Wiltshire Council has previously worked with veterans' charities on local housing schemes, though campaigners argue more needs to be done given the scale of the military footprint across the county.

The charity is now encouraging other local organisations, businesses and residents to add their voice to the campaign, arguing that public pressure can help push the issue further up the political agenda.

Veterans themselves have described a range of experiences, from smooth transitions supported by well-run resettlement programmes to far more difficult journeys involving spells of temporary accommodation or, in some cases, rough sleeping.

Charity workers say early intervention, ideally starting before someone actually leaves the forces, tends to produce far better outcomes than trying to support someone once they have already become homeless.

With Remembrance events later in the year expected to put a renewed spotlight on the armed forces community, campaigners hope the open letter will help keep pressure on decision-makers to follow through with concrete improvements rather than short-term gestures.