Turriff councillor backs call for better support for veterans
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Turriff and District councillor Alastair Forsyth is giving his backing to calls made during a House of Commons debate on War Pensions and Armed Forces Pay for root and branch reform of the Veterans UK agency.
The SNP councillor served for nine years in the Royal Artillery and now represents Aberdeenshire Council on the Highland Reserve Forces and Cadets Association.
The debate in the House of Commons this week was led by Owen Thompson, SNP MP for Midlothian, with cross-party contributions.
Commenting, Cllr Alastair Forsyth said: “I’m delighted that this issue has been picked-up by Owen Thompson, who has been a strong campaigner for better support for veterans during his time in Parliament.
“A recent customer survey into Veterans UK, the MoD body tasked with supporting the UK’s 2.4million veterans revealed that on a scale of one to 10, half gave the lowest possible score of one for the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, with 87 percent of those responding giving scores of five or less.
"That indicates some real problems in the system and underscores why many veterans feel they face a ‘battle against bureaucracy’ to access crucial assistance.
“It is right and proper that we ensure our veterans are supported in meeting the costs of illness, injuries or mental health issues that they obtained or were exacerbated during their time in service.
“Our veterans aren’t demanding the earth, simply basic support to continue their lives and care for their families.
"We owe it to them to provide that support with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
