Veterans face eviction from council housing
The former military and Navy personnel, who have conditions including PTSD, have been told they will have to leave their one-bedroom flats in Bolton after the council decided to stop paying the landlord.
The veterans living in Constellation House said they felt they would be treated better if they were asylum seekers, after they were issued with eviction notices from the supported accommodation earlier this month.
The proposed evictions were triggered after Bolton council decided to stop paying housing benefit to Qualitas Housing because it concluded the supported accommodation did not meet requirements.
The eviction of the veterans, including former members of the Royal Signals, the tank regiment and the Navy, prompted speculation locally that the accommodation was being cleared to house asylum seekers.
While the housing association denied it was moving in migrants, saying it was effectively forced to make evictions because of the council, veterans claimed asylum seekers were prioritised over them.
The row comes amid concerns from veterans that Afghans given asylum as a result of the worst data leak in British history could be prioritised for housing at the expense of former soldiers.
Scott Berry, 55, who served for six years in the Royal Signals, said: 'You have migrants who we don't have a clue about being given everything they need. We are veterans and they don't give a damn. We could be made homeless, we still don't know.'
'You never know what they plan to do, and the council and Qualitas are passing the buck,' he added. 'Have a bit of grace.'
The tenants have now said they fear being made homeless and are not getting answers from either the council or the landlord, which they said previously received up to £350 a week per person.
Mr Berry said that the housing provider must be serious about evictions to send out notices.
'They said the reason was because the council have held back the housing benefits payments,' he said. 'But you don't issue letters if you don't mean anything.
'They could have just rang the council and discussed it. It doesn't make sense.'
'Sorry state of affairs'
Mr Berry said that although the owner was different, nothing had changed with the accommodation and it was putting unnecessary stress on veterans with PTSD.
'We've got PTSD, we do have problems. We don't need things like this happening. It's a sorry state of affairs when you are giving people letters. It's not very nice.'
While claims that the building was going to be used to house asylum seekers are false, he said many people believed asylum seekers being housed in hotels were treated better than veterans.
The housing system was already at breaking point, with local authority waiting lists at record levels across the country, before it was revealed that Britain was secretly relocating nearly 24,000 Afghan soldiers and their families to the UK after their identities were published online.
Local authority tenants include the disabled, victims of domestic violence, people leaving care and benefits claimants, as well as veterans.
Under the Armed Forces Covenant, the Government and local authorities are committed to helping military families, including former personnel, to access housing, healthcare and education.
But veterans have voiced fears that an influx of Afghans is making it more difficult for them to secure accommodation.
The Government will spend £7bn bringing Afghans affected by the leak to Britain over five years, with 18,500 already flown in.
According to court documents, Afghans have been sent to Bracknell in Berkshire, Preston in Lancashire, Aberdeen in Scotland, and Cardiff in Wales.
Others were sent to West Sussex and Yorkshire, while plans were afoot for hotels to be opened up to them in the North East, East Anglia and the East Midlands.
Some of the Afghans sent to Bracknell under the scheme were housed in a four-star hotel, given free English lessons and received medical treatment from the NHS.
The block in Bolton was previously managed by another provider and was taken over by Qualitas in February, triggering new applications for the enhanced support rate of housing benefit.
After what it described as 'a lengthy period of due diligence and evidence gathering', the council said it did not meet the required standards.
Veterans were then issued with eviction notices by Qualitas earlier this month and have been told they have until mid-September to leave their one-bedroom flats.
The housing association and the council have now blamed each other for the row, with Qualitas arguing it had to issue the notices because of the withdrawal of housing benefits, while the local authority insisted the accommodation was not suitable.
The veterans are being supported by Trevor Jones, the local Reform Party chairman, who has questioned why the housing association would 'throw them out'.
He said: 'They wanted to throw 12 servicemen on the street. I have told them not to go anywhere, they are staying put.
'If we can't protect them, then who can we? That doesn't add up. It looks like a plan to get it empty.'
Most of those staying in the property were first referred to Constellation House by charities or other local authorities.
Exempt accommodation providers receive housing benefits payments directly in exchange for providing support services to vulnerable tenants.
Housing benefits paid to exempt accommodation providers are not subject to the same caps as regular housing benefits and the council decided it did not qualify.
It is understood the council has to decide eligibility to pay the enhanced support rate of housing benefits based on national legislation that is audited each year to ensure compliance.
Ignoring any evidence that accommodation is not fit for purpose could leave the council liable for paying thousands of pounds a month for substandard accommodation and could leave holes in the housing support budget.
Bolton council said the decision to issue eviction notices was taken entirely by Qualitas Housing as an independent housing provider and it became aware of the situation only after notices were issued.
A spokesman said: 'We share the concerns that have been raised after Qualitas Housing issued section 21 notices to Armed Forces veterans living at Constellation House in Farnworth.
'We are in discussions with the housing provider to resolve this matter.
'The council is also in the process of contacting the tenants to offer the full support of our housing options and advice team.
'Qualitas Housing have confirmed they have not spoken to Serco and do not have any plans to house asylum seekers in the property.'
He added: 'Exempt accommodation providers receive uncapped housing benefits directly, in exchange for providing support services to vulnerable tenants.
'In order to qualify, providers must meet specific criteria to ensure appropriate services and facilities are in place.
'While the council previously concluded that Constellation House did not meet the required standards, this decision has now been appealed and we are reviewing the case in line with the legislation.'
A spokesman for Qualitas Housing said: 'Qualitas Housing is aware of recent claims suggesting that Armed Forces veterans are being evicted from Constellation House to accommodate asylum seekers. These claims are entirely false.
'The difficult decision to issue section 21 notices followed the local authority's refusal to reinstate housing benefit for the tenants. We are actively supporting the tenants in appealing this decision and are working closely with both them and the council to ensure that no individual is left without suitable accommodation.'
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