Agenda item

(a)           Armed Forces – End to the Unjust Benefits System for Veterans – “Credit Their Service”

Proposer:  Cllr Danny Lee
Seconder:   Cllr Brian Laming

Preamble

 

Winchester is a proud supporter of the Armed Forces community, the Royal British Legion (RBL) and Armed Forces Covenant. Our district has deep historic and present-day ties with the Armed Forces, including service personnel, veterans, and their families who contribute to our community.

However, veterans receiving military compensation continue to face unfair treatment in the welfare system. The Royal British Legion’s “Credit Their Service” campaign highlights this serious injustice.

This inequity results in our poorest veterans and their families being denied full financial support that would otherwise be available to civilians receiving equivalent compensation through civil courts. Winchester City Council can lead locally by ensuring military compensation can be treated fairly and advocate for national reform.

 

Council Notes

 

·       That military compensation, awarded by the UK Government for injury, illness or loss sustained in service, is still treated as income by c80% of local authorities in the UK and is therefore means-tested benefits, despite civilian personal-injury compensation being fully disregarded.

·       That the Royal British Legion’s ‘Credit Their Service’ campaign has identified more than 150,000 veterans and family members affected nationally each year.

·       That councils have the discretion to disregard Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and War Pension income in local benefits including Council Tax Support (CTS), Housing Benefit (HB), Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP), and Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG).

·       That the Royal British Legion lists Eastleigh and other authorities – including Wigan, Durham, Northumberland, and Basingstoke – as councils that have adopted fairer treatment by fully disregarding military compensation in local schemes.

·       That Winchester City Council has a strong commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant and can demonstrate national leadership by ensuring local veterans are treated fairly. Winchester City Council signed the Covenant on 2 March 2022[1].

 

Council Resolves

1. To support the Royal British Legion’s “Credit Their Service” campaign, recognising the injustice caused when military compensation is treated as income in local means-tested benefits.

2. To amend all relevant Winchester City Council policies to ensure that

 

·       All Armed Forces Compensation Scheme payments and War Disablement Pensions are fully disregarded when assessing financial liability for Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG).

·       All Armed Forces compensation and War Pension income is fully disregarded when assessing eligibility or award levels for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP).

·       The same principle is applied wherever legally permissible in Council Tax Support and Housing Benefit calculations within local discretionary parameters.

3. To embed this position explicitly within the Council’s Private Sector Housing Policy and DFG Policy Statement, citing the Armed Forces Covenant duty to ensure fair treatment.

4. To publicise the policy clearly to veterans, local voluntary groups, and Armed Forces representatives across the district.

5. To write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions urging national reform so that military compensation is fully exempt from all means-tested Department for Work and Pensions benefits.

6. To work with the Royal British Legion, the Hampshire Armed Forces Covenant Partnership, and neighbouring councils to support consistent adoption of “Credit Their Service” principles across Hampshire.

 

………..

Ref/Notes

1.    Credit their Service

 

 

(b)           Protecting Streams and Rivers Across the Winchester District.

 

Proposer: Cllr Kelsie Learney

Seconder: Cllr Suzanne White

 

This Council recognises that our streams and rivers are vital to the ecological health, cultural heritage, and future sustainability of the Winchester district.

 

Our district includes internationally significant chalk streams, the River Itchen, River Meon, and River Dever, as well as the River Hamble and other watercourses.

 

These rivers provide habitats for unique and endangered species, support livelihoods, recreation, the wellbeing of our residents and have historical and cultural significance.  However rivers across the UK, and here in the Winchester district, face increasing pressures from pollution, over-abstraction, habitat and biodiversity degradation, and climate change.

 

This Council welcomes the priority given to the protection and restoration of rivers and chalk streams within the recently adopted Local Nature Recovery strategy for Hampshire and the specific reference to chalk streams within the recently published consultation draft revision of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

 

However these measures are unlikely to counter the cumulative impact of:

·       Government proposals to scale back biodiversity net gain (BNG) requirements

·       Indications that nature-friendly farming measures within Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs) may be rolled back.

·       Proposed changes weakening Habitats Regulations

·       Reference in the draft NPPF to “an unacceptable adverse effect on water quality” rather than absolute protection

·       The removal of the House of Lords’ amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure bill which required spatial development strategies to identify the measures to protect chalk streams from environmental damage; and impose responsibilities on strategic planning authorities in relation to the protection and enhancement of chalk stream habitats.

 

Council therefore resolves to:

 

1.    Restate this Council’s intention to lead by example to protect and restore our rivers and streams and their catchments.

 

2.    Continue to advocate to Government and national and regional bodies, including the Environment Agency, for the protection of our chalk streams and other freshwater ecosystems.

 

3.    Support local initiatives and citizen monitoring efforts that protect and restore river health, such as citizen science water testing and river fly monitoring, riparian buffer planting, natural flood management, creating wildlife corridors and sustainable agriculture partnerships.

 

4.    Support public engagement to raise awareness of the importance of chalk streams and rivers to Hampshire’s natural and cultural heritage.

 

 

 

(c)           Hampshire Mayoral Election.

 

Proposer: Cllr Caroline Horrill

Seconder: Cllr Stephen Godfrey

This council notes the announcement last month from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government that the inaugural elections to select a Mayor for the new Hampshire Mayoral Combined Authority would not take place until May 2028.

This Council believes that the election of a Mayor for the Hampshire & the Solent Combined County Authority must happen as early as possible, preferably in May 2026, but should not be delayed beyond May 2027.

This Council resolves to:

1.????Formally oppose the Government’s proposal to delay the Hampshire Mayoral election from May 2026 to May 2028.

2.????Write to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government expressing this Council’s concern at the proposed delay and calling for the election to proceed in May 2026 as originally planned and not to be postponed beyond May 2027.

 

(d)           Local Elections.

 

Proposer: Cllr Caroline Horrill

Seconder: Cllr Stephen Godfrey

 

This council notes the letter from the Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness on 18th December 2025 inviting views on the postponement of local elections from May 2026.

 

This Council believes that local elections, including those planned for Winchester City Council in May 2026, must not be postponed.

This Council resolves to request that the Leader responds to the Minister accordingly – making clear that Winchester City Council does not support postponement of its elections.