A dozen British Armed Forces veterans in Bolton, many living with PTSD and other service-related injuries, are now facing imminent eviction and potential homelessness after Bolton Council withdrew housing support for their accommodation.
The group, which includes former Royal Signals, Tank Regiment, and Royal Navy personnel, were placed at Constellation House through official referrals from charities and local authorities.
But following a decision by Bolton Council to cease housing benefit payments to the provider, Qualitas Housing, claiming the property “did not meet required standards”, Section 21 eviction notices were issued.
Now, with the first evictions expected as early as mid-September, the Great British PAC is demanding urgent answers from senior Labour figures.
In an open letter sent today to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Veterans Minister Alistair Carns, Bolton Council Leader Nick Peel, and local MPs, Nick Brown, Veterans and Military Director of the Great British PAC, accused officials of “bureaucratic failure and moral betrayal.”
“This is not simply a political controversy,” Brown writes. “It is a moral failure and a betrayal of those who swore an oath to serve this country.”
The letter cites the Armed Forces Covenant, to which Bolton Council is a signatory, which commits public bodies to ensuring that those who have served in the military are not disadvantaged when accessing services, including housing.
“While we acknowledge Bolton Council’s duty to ensure public money is well spent,” Brown continues, “evicting vulnerable veterans with nowhere else to go, without any confirmed alternative, is indefensible.”
“Blame Game While Veterans Suffer”
The dispute has reportedly devolved into finger-pointing between the council and Qualitas Housing, with veterans caught in the crossfire.
One former Royal Signals soldier, Scott Berry, is quoted in the letter as saying:
“You have migrants who we don’t have a clue about being given everything they need. We are veterans, and they don’t give a damn.”
The Great British PAC is demanding urgent clarity on five key points, including what standards were breached, why eviction notices were issued before appeals were concluded, and whether the council will pause removals while alternative accommodation is found.
The group has called for a formal response within seven days, or warned it will escalate the matter politically and in the media.
“Street Sleepers Because of Red Tape”
Caroline Smith, Special Operations Director at the Great British PAC and a former high-level systems lead, said the council’s position was “not just insulting… it’s absurd.”
“The irony here is, ‘You can’t stay here because it doesn’t meet our standards’ — but somehow it’s fine for them to sleep on the street,” Smith said.
A GB PAC supporter added: “Is rough sleeping now the council’s benchmark for decency? This is a typical case in how bureaucracy fails the people who deserve support the most.”
“The Public Will Not Tolerate This”
The letter also draws a contrast with the government’s £7 billion commitment to resettle 24,000 Afghans, calling the veterans’ situation “a test of national priorities.”
“That commitment is right,” said Brown. “But we cannot abandon our own veterans in the process. The public will not tolerate a government that funds asylum for others but fails those who wore the uniform of this country.”
READ THE LETTER IN FULL:
