How are the SNP supporting veterans?

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

We have appointed a Scottish Veterans Commissioner – the first person to hold such a position in the UK. The current Commissioner, Charles Wallace, was appointed by Veterans Minister Graeme Day in autumn 2018. An Army veteran with 35 years of service, he is dedicated to promoting the interests of former members of the armed forces.

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. A series of events will also be held to enable employers to network, share ideas, and connect with veterans and the Armed Forces community.

We have also established the Scottish Veterans Fund to support projects that provide a wide range of advice and practical support to veterans across Scotland. This fund has awarded in excess of £1.3 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 and we will press the UK government to adopt this approach.