A wheelchair bound veteran had to quit his job because he could no longer manage spiralling commuting costs that were severely affecting his mental health.
Lee Patmore, from Crawley, was in the Navy but was medically discharged in 1999 due to a serious back injury.
The 47-year-old, now a wheelchair user, left his job in marketing in October because it was having a negative impact on his mental health.
He said: “It’s costing more to go into work, it’s costing more to do everything yet work just can’t give you a wage rise to cater for it.
“It’s very difficult, it’s tough to hear that people who have already got quite possibly mental health problems in some way or another are then being affected further.”
Help For Heroes’s annual survey has revealed the true scale of the impact the cost-of-living crisis has had on veterans’ mental health over the past 12 months.
The charity says coverage of the war in Ukraine and loneliness are also driving the reported dip in mental health.
Some 810 veterans with self-declared physical or mental health conditions expected to last longer than 12 months completed the Veterans and Families Survey between August 15 and September 2.
Of these, 85 per cent reported struggling with their mental health daily, compared with 73 per cent in a 2021 survey.
The charity says 82 per cent of respondents are worried about the cost of living, with one in eight having used a food bank in the last 12 months.
And 51 per cent said news coverage of recent conflicts in Ukraine and Afghanistan has taken a toll on their mental health.
This has caused many to experience anger, depression, low mood and sleep disruption.
News of these conflicts has prompted feelings of guilty or shame for 35 per cent of respondents.
And ten per cent reported misusing alcohol or substances as a result.
Of those surveyed, 82 per cent reported experiencing feelings of loneliness and 32 per cent say they are often or always lonely.
The latter rises to 54 per cent for those living alone, the charity states.
The charity’s interim chief executive James Needham said: “For those veterans living with long-term health conditions, it’s not surprising recent external factors outside of their control have resulted in a worsening of mental health.”
It has seen a 28 per cent increase in referrals for grant funding support, up from 389 to 498, in the last year to September compared to the previous year.
It has seen an eight per cent increase in overall referrals, up from 2,438 to 2,623, to end of September 2022 compared to the previous year.
A Cabinet Office spokesman said: “We encourage any veteran who may be struggling to come forward and seek support.
“Veterans in England can access specialist support through NHS England’s dedicated veterans mental health and wellbeing service, Op Courage.”
More information on support is available at www.helpforheroes.org.uk/get-help/welfare/cost-of-living-support/
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