Housing options for people leaving the Armed Forces, veterans and their families

This information applies to:

• people who will soon be leaving the Armed Forces
• people who used to serve in the Armed Forces (veterans)
• the dependants of people who will soon be leaving the Armed Forces and veterans

If you have housing questions or problems, there is help available for you if you are in the Armed Forces, a veteran or a family member of someone in the Armed Forces or a veteran.

You can use this information to find out about the help available to you, depending on your situation. You can also use this information to find out about organisations that can help you with your housing needs.

Help you can get with housing before you leave the services

If you are leaving the Armed Forces you have the right to help with finding somewhere to live.

You can get help through the Joint Service Housing Advice Office (JSHAO).

They provide information and advice for you and your dependants, especially if you are about to return to civilian life. If you are a veteran currently living in Armed Forces housing, they can help you move out and find a civilian home.

You can contact JSHAO in the following ways:

Joint Service Housing Advice Office
Floor 2, Zone 2 
Montgomery House
Queen's Avenue
Aldershot
Hampshire
GU11 2JN

Advice line: 07814 612120
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.gov.uk

In England and Wales, if you need specially adapted accommodation, for example, because you are disabled or have a disabled child, you can apply to have your details entered on to one or more Accessible Housing Registers.

Help you can get with finding a home as a veteran

If you are a veteran, you can get help to find somewhere to live from your local council. They can give you free advice on housing options, and advice if you are homeless or threatened with homelessness.

You can find details of your local council on the GOV.UK website at www.gov.uk.

In Northern Ireland, to apply for social housing, contact the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. You can find details of your nearest district office on the NIHE website:

Website: www.nihe.gov.uk
Telephone: 03448 920920

If you are single you can get help from The Single Persons Accommodation Centre for the Ex Services (SPACES).

SPACES helps single ex service personnel find housing throughout the United Kingdom which can be temporary or permanent. If you contact them within six months of leaving the Armed Forces they may be able to help you find accommodation. If you have been out of the Armed Forces for more than six months they can provide you with information and advice on housing.

You can contact SPACES at:

SPACES
Regional Resettlement Centre
St. Aidan's Road
Catterick Garrison

Catterick
North Yorkshire
DL9 3AY

Telephone: 01748 833797 or 01748 872940 or 01748 830191
Fax: 01748 835774
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.spaces.org.uk.

If you're homeless

If you don't have anywhere to live, you can get help from your local council.

The council has a legal duty to provide help to certain people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. When deciding if there is a legal duty to help you, one of the things the council in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will look at is whether you have a priority need. This test was abolished in Scotland on 31 December 2012.

If you live in England, you will have a priority need if you are vulnerable because of your time in the Armed Forces.

If you live in Wales, anyone leaving the Armed Forces will have a priority need.

If you live in Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has a duty to provide accommodation for you if they decide that you have a priority need.

Get advice on applying for homeless help from the council.

If you have nowhere to live, you can get help and advice from an experienced adviser, for example at your local Citizens Advice. 

If you're a disabled veteran

If you need everyday help, or help with things like adaptations to your home, you may get this from your local council or the welfare service of Veterans UK.

In England, you can find more information about help available for disabled people on GOV.UK.

In England, Wales and Scotland, you can find out about the help available from Veterans UK on their website or call the helpline on 0808 1914218.

Check your local council's website to find out what services they offer. You can find your local council on GOV.UK.

In Northern Ireland, you can find out more about support to stay in your own home on the NI Direct website.

You may also be able to get help from some veterans' organisations.

Care homes for veterans 

There are a number of care homes available just for elderly and disabled veterans.  

You can find out more information and advice about this from the Royal British Legion.

Their contact details are:

Legionline: 0808 802 8080
Website: www.britishlegion.org.uk 

For more information about housing options for older and disabled people, see Care homes.

Further help

More information for the Armed Forces, veterans and their families

For more financial information, see Benefits and concessions for the Armed Forces, veterans and their families.

For more pensions information, see Pension and compensation schemes for the Armed Forces, veterans and their families.

For more information on housing, see the Housing section.

Armed Forces Covenant

The Armed Forces Covenant provides support to service personnel, veterans and their families. The Covenant campaigns for fair access to government and commercial services such as healthcare and education. Find out more about the Covenant on their website.

Seafarers' Advice & Information Line (SAIL)

SAIL is a UK-wide Citizens Advice service dedicated to serving and veteran Royal Navy personnel and their families. They offer free housing advice and support. 

Royal British Legion

The Royal British Legion provides advice and information for all veterans and their dependants. You can get advice by contacting them at:

Legionline: 0808 802 8080
Email: via the website www.britishlegion.org.uk
Website: www.britishlegion.org.uk

They have a number of care homes for veterans and their dependants. 

The Royal British Legion also provide a list of other housing options available for veterans. 

Royal British Legion Industries

Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) provides advice and support with housing and care for people leaving the Armed Forces, veterans and their families. They offer a number of family housing schemes, assisted living schemes, and supported housing.

Their contact details are:

Helpline: 01622 795900
Email: [email protected]

Veterans UK

Veterans UK, which is an Agency of the Ministry of Defence (MOD), is the sole Government-funded source of help and advice for veterans. Its website has a lot of useful information for veterans and their families, including on welfare support and other specialist support programmes that are available to veterans. It also provides links to many other veterans organisations.

Veterans UK also runs a free helpline for veterans, which gives advice on many topics.

The contact details of Veterans UK are:

Veterans UK
Ministry of Defence
Norcross
Thornton Cleveleys
Lancashire
FY5 3WP

Veterans Helpline: 0808 1914218

Relay UK - if you can't hear or speak on the phone, you can type what you want to say: 18001 then 0800 169 3458

You can use Relay UK with an app or a textphone. There’s no extra charge to use it. Find out how to use Relay UK on the Relay UK website.

Email: [email protected]
Website: www.veterans-uk.info

Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation

The Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation provides housing and support to vulnerable and disabled veterans and their dependants in England.

If you are offered a place in one of their homes, they provide a home for life if you need it, or help to find training and work to get back to independent living.

You can find out more about the services they offer by contacting them at:

Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation
446 Fulham Road
London
SW6 1DT

Telephone: 0207 385 2110
Website: www.stoll.org.uk.

Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association Forces Help

If you are serving in the Armed Forces, a veteran or the dependant of those serving and veterans, you can get free housing advice from The Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) Forces Help.

They provide advice and assistance to those eligible for help. They also provide some housing facilities.

They also provide help to people who are homeless.

You can find out more information by contacting the housing advisor at:

Telephone: 0800 260 67 67
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.ssafa.org.uk.

Veterans Aid

If you are homeless, or are likely to become homeless, you can get help from Veterans Aid.

They can provide direct and immediate help to vulnerable veterans with finding hostel accommodation.

You can find out more information by contacting them at:

Veterans Aid
40 Buckingham Palace Road
Victoria
London
SW1W 0RE

Helpline: 0800 012 68 67
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.veterans-aid.net

Veterans Scotland

Veterans Scotland offers access to accommodation managed by its member organisations. A range of housing options are available for veterans and their dependants to rent. This ranges from hostel accommodation for single people, to houses adapted for disabled veterans. There are properties throughout Scotland.

You can find out more information by contacting them at:

Veterans Scotland
New Haig House
Logie Green Road
Edinburgh
EH7 4HR

Telephone for general information: 0131 550 1569
Telephone for housing advice: 0131 550 1595
Fax: 0131 557 5819
Email for general information: [email protected]
Email for housing advice: [email protected]
Website: www.veteransscotland.co.uk.

Aftercare (Northern Ireland)

Aftercare is a charity in Northern Ireland which provides medical, vocational, welfare and benevolence support to former full-time and part-time UDR and Royal Irish (HS) soldiers and their families. They have four field teams based in Coleraine, Holywood, Portadown and Enniskillen.

You can telephone the field teams directly:

North (Coleraine) 02892 260615
East (Holywood) 02890 420266
West (Enniskillen) 02892 260114
South (Portadown) 02892 260044

Website: www.aftercareservice.org

Housing Options Scotland

Housing Options Scotland runs a specialist housing service called Military Matters for disabled serving or veteran service personnel and their families to assist them in finding the right home. There is more information about Military Matters on the Housing Options Scotland website at www.housingoptionsscotland.org.uk.

Housing Options Scotland
The Melting Pot
5 Rose Street
Edinburgh
EH2 2PR

Tel: 0131 247 1400
Fax: 0870 123 1597
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.housingoptionsscotland.org.uk