The Royal British Legion has announced a new grant scheme to help veterans and their families pay their bills as the cost of living crisis continues to hit households around the UK.
The UK's largest military charity is offering £200 a month (up to £2,400 a year) to help the Armed Forces community - which includes those who have served, or are serving, in the Royal Navy, British Army or Royal Air Force.
The grant also applies to veterans' families, dependants and carers.
Successful applications will get up to £200 a month for up to 12 months, but the exact amount of the grant and its duration will vary depending on circumstances.
The charity said it has been a 20% rise in requests for support to cover food and household costs - and these are expected to rise even further in winter.
Military widow and RBL beneficiary Frances Metcalf said: "My energy bills have increased by more than 100% in the past year. The cost of food is going up. Everything you can think of - interest rates, insurance.
"In February and March of this year I hardly turned the heating on and kept myself warm using a hot water bottle. The worry is the worst part. You can’t eat because of worry, and you don’t know which way to turn.
"The financial support the RBL has given me has helped no end - without it I would really struggle."
The Royal British Legion’s Executive Director of Services, Antony Baines, said: "Many of the most vulnerable members of the Armed Forces community are facing this winter with genuine fear about how to pay their bills.
"Over the last year we have issued 20% more grants to some members of the Armed Forces community who simply cannot make ends meet. We sadly expect these figures to rise further, particularly over the winter months.
"I am pleased to announce today that the RBL is now providing energy cost top up payments for those most in need through our new grants scheme.
"No one should have to worry about whether they will be able to keep the lights on, heat their homes or feed themselves and their families."
Members of the Armed Forces community will in many cases face the same cost of living pressures as other people, but some are more vulnerable to rising costs.
Previous RBL research found that working-age adults in the veteran community are more likely to be sick or disabled than UK adults of the same age.
RBL said one in ten members of the ex-Service community report some kind of financial difficulty - equivalent to 430,000 people.
The energy cost top up grant announced by the RBL today is aimed at reducing the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on veterans and their families in need of extra support and is designed to prevent them from reaching a point of crisis.
RBL grants are means-tested to assess an applicant’s financial need using a system based on the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s Minimum Income Standard.
You can check your eligibility on the RBL website or by calling 0808 802 8080.
