How are the SNP supporting veterans?

The SNP believes that veterans are an asset to our society and deserve the best possible care and support.

We appointed a Scottish Veterans Commissioner to put this belief into action – the first person to hold such a position in the UK. The SNP’s vision for the Veterans Commission is to raise the profile of veterans within Scotland, in order to ensure that their skills and experiences are recognised and valued.

The SNP recognises that the sacrifice and commitment of veterans and their families is invaluable to our country.

The SNP Scottish Government provide funding for the Supporting Veterans into Employment initiative. The scheme is delivered by Business in the Community, which encourages businesses of all sizes and sectors to proactively recruit and benefit from employing veterans in the civilian workforce.

We also established the Scottish Veterans Fund in 2008 to support projects that provide a wide range of advice and practical support to veterans across Scotland.

This fund has awarded in excess of £2.8 million to veterans and ex-services charities across Scotland to projects that promote employment, social inclusion, health and wellbeing for veterans and their families.

To provide practical support for veterans requiring social care, the Scottish Government changed the rules to ensure the War Disablement Pension is exempt from the assessment of income – meaning our veterans get the help they need and keep the full value of this pension.

We believe this approach should be taken for all social security benefits, so that those who have been injured in the service of our country get the full value of their War Disablement Pension.