Government urges councils to ensure UK veterans do not sleep rough this Christmas

Andy Burnham stated that no one who served in the UK armed forces should be left sleeping on the streets. As part of this effort, the prime minister will personally write to councils on Armistice Day to urge them to offer housing for homeless veterans, backed by an additional £8.7 million in funding allocated to eight organizations supporting individuals with complex needs. Official figures from autumn 2025 estimated a record high of 4,793 people sleeping rough on a single night in England. While the government has committed £4.4 billion overall to end rough sleeping, critics have urged authorities to provide long-term funding and preventive measures rather than one-off cash injections.