Liz Jarvis MP calls on Government to support disabled veterans with current system “not fit for purpose”

Liz Jarvis MP, Member of Parliament for Eastleigh, has been granted a debate in Parliament where she will call on the Government to urgently review the systemic problems facing disabled veterans after they are discharged. 

Ms Jarvis has previously raised the case of Mark Houghton OBE, an army veteran from her Eastleigh constituency who after being seriously injured while working abroad has been denied access to PIP and Employment and Support Allowance because he had not resided in the UK for two out of the last three years. She will call for veterans who have served in the Armed Forces and have life-altering injuries to be granted emergency support, and urge the Government to champion the nearly 600,000 disabled veterans in England and Wales. 

Liberal Democrat MP for Eastleigh, Liz Jarvis said:

“Eastleigh has a unique and proud connection with our Armed Forces through the Supermarine Spitfire and the extraordinary role our community played in the Second World War. This Remembrance Day, I am also paying tribute to the 1045 disabled veterans in my constituency who gave everything they had for this country but now feel left behind and let down. 

“Veterans deserve our greatest respect and a larger focus in Government policy. Better mental health support, easier access to professional help, regular mental health check-ups at key life points, fair benefits that respect lived reality, consistent data so we can fix what is failing, and a system that meets veterans where they are. That is how we show our gratitude in deeds, not just words.” 

Charities and veterans’ groups are calling for an independent review of the medical discharge process across all services to make it consistent, compassionate and genuinely supportive. Ms Jarvis also raised the long wait times that veterans suffering brain injuries face, called on the Government to improve collection and sharing of data to help deliver tailored and holistic support, and backed the Help for Heros campaign to end multiple Work Capability and PIP assessments for amputees.