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If you're leaving the armed forces, or you are a former member, you may be entitled to extra help if you become homeless.

It is important to seek help with your housing or apply to the Council as homeless as soon as you are aware that you will be leaving the armed forces.

Please note that the principal responsibility for providing housing information and advice to Service personnel lies with the armed forces up to the point of discharge and these services are delivered through the Joint Service Housing Advice Office and through the Veterans UK Online. Some people, who have served in the armed forces for a long period, and those who are medically discharged, may be offered assistance with resettlement by the MOD’s resettlement staff.

If you are leaving the armed forces or are a former member of the armed forces, you are able to get help with housing from the Council.

The Council will carry out an assessment of your needs to determine what assistance is available.

If you become homeless and are a former member of the armed forces, the Council may consider you as being in "priority need" for accommodation.  This will be determined by your personal circumstances.  If you are identified as being in priority need, the Council will have a duty to provide you with emergency accommodation whilst looking at alternative longer term options.

To help support your case, you may need to provide medical evidence from the MOD, including a Medical History Release Form (if you were given one).

Homelessness legislation has recently changed to enable service personnel to accrue a local connection in the area in which they are based for the purposes of a homeless application.

If you are not considered to be in "priority need", there are some services specifically for ex-service personnel who find themselves homeless and on the streets, for example:

The Royal British Legion might be able to help with a rent deposit, contact www.support.britishlegion.org.uk  

SSAFA provide housing advice to people currently serving in the forces and ex-services personnel and their families.  SSAFA can be contacted through www.ssafa.org.uk

In addition to this, you can review further information on assistance for people sleeping rough can be found .

Accessing Devon Home Choice:

If you are a member or former member of the armed forces in housing need, additional preference will be applied to your application as outlined in the Devon Home Choice policy.

Furthermore, the local connection criteria for accessing Devon Home Choice will not be applied to members of the armed forces and former service personnel where their application is made within 5 years of discharge.