A HOMELESS navy veteran living in Salisbury has said the system does not work and that he 'would be better off in prison'.
Matthew Donovan completed his full term in the Navy in 2011 but never expected to find himself living on the streets.
He said: “I have seen many switched-on people lose it and turn to drugs or drink.
"I came to Salisbury in November and luckily, the veteran’s charity Alabare helped me. I am trying to get a job but the current system we have just does not work. The government doesn’t care."
48 per cent of veterans in the county are aged 65 or over and data from the Office for National Statistics data revealed that 7,952 veterans were classified as disabled under the Equalities Act in Wiltshire.
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Matthew explained that his naval pension means he can’t get any financial support.
“I am £14 over the limit. I would be better off in prison. I would lose my freedom, yes, but at least, I could save up my pension money.”
Matthew is providing voluntary gardening work currently.
He added: "I did my full service in the Navy and would have signed on again but wasn’t able to. Alabare has given me accommodation for two years but then I have to try to bid to get a council house.”
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Alabaré’s Veterans Operations Manager, Anne Williams said: “At Alabaré we believe no veteran should be homeless or have to face sleeping on the streets. In order to help as many veterans as possible out of a crisis, we provide a pathway of support to meet each person’s needs. We can offer them a safe home in one of our Homes for Veterans, and support to enable them to rebuild their life so they have the future that they would wish for.
“Veterans seek our support for a variety of reasons, including those who need help with their mental or physical well-being, and those who have problems linked to debt, loss of employment or relationship breakdown.
"Some of these challenges have arisen due to the time they spent serving, some due to problems adjusting to civilian life, and some may be linked to challenges that have resurfaced from their early lives."
For more information on the work that the charity does for veterans, visit the website.
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