'Lip service, gatekeeping and waste of money': Army veteran describes his experience with government's homelessness programme
Op Fortitude, a referral system that has been created to help ex-service personnel find housing support, has been described as a "waste of money".
Jim served in the Royal Engineers including a tour of Afghanistan between 2009-2015.
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The 37-year-old left to go into university but within his first year Covid started, and he couldn’t afford the student loans and bills.
He was left effectively homeless, after moving into a horse box.
Currently, he feels really disillusioned by a lot of the veteran services and didn’t think Op Fortitude would help due to his past experiences.
He rang the Government Op Fortitude freephone helpline number: 0800 952 0774.
Op Fortitude is a referral system that has been created to help ex-service personnel find housing support.
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“I mean, if I was like in crisis, which is what the numbers are for on the streets… and someone hadn't answered, you know, it defeats the purpose of the point of the phone call”.
"You press 1, you go through your normal things and then it just puts you on hold throughout that time. They're not, you know, you're one in the queue, two in the queue, or, you know, there's 20 minutes, there's no acknowledgment that you're on the line or anything like that.
"After 26 minutes without warning - the line went dead it just cut off, it just came to an end."
He left his name and number - 18 hours later Jim did get a phone call.
But rather than help all Jim received were excuses as to why he couldn’t be helped and eventually the man on the other end of the line puts the phone down.
When LBC asked Jim what he thought of the Op Fortitude service he said: "Lip service, gatekeeping and a waste of money".
Shadow Defence Secretary, James Cartlidge MP said: "Jim's experience - on Remembrance Day - is totally unacceptable.
"Labour appears to be prioritising putting our Northern Ireland Veterans back in the dock instead of actually delivering for homeless Veterans.
"Those who served our country deserve far better."
When we asked Jim how he was feeling emotionally he responded: “It's just isolating.
“And I'm kind of like in. In purgatory, really. I've got a master's, but I live so rural that I can't find a job.
“I can't get into rental properties because I haven't got the references or the credit rating”.
“I just can't move on and get a sense of dignity because I live in a very small caravan with my partner and my dog and, I just need a small three months, like in a place where there is employment and I'd probably be absolutely fine.”
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said: "We have looked into the issues raised as a matter of urgency. Every veteran deserves appropriate support, and we take any concerns very seriously and will always look to improve the service.
"The Government is committed to renewing the contract with those who served and have served.
“Op FORTITUDE has already housed over 1,000 veterans and this government has extended the service, committing an additional £12 million to vital homelessness services through the Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme. Op FORTITUDE never offer tents as a solution to homelessness.
“We have also changed the law to make it easier for veterans to access social housing in England and recently awarded £4.5 million of grants to refurbish and build new social and affordable housing for veterans.”