Carl's Story: a veteran's experience of the benefits system

Martin, Phil; Motta, Andrea; Scullion, Lisa; Hynes, Celia; Pardoe, Joe; Young, David

Abstract

Since 2017, the University of Salford has been leading a project funded by the Forces in Mind Trust (FiMT) called Sanctions, Support & Service Leavers. The project represents the first, and only, substantive research to provide an understanding of veterans' experiences of navigating the UK social security benefits system. Prior to our study, very little was known, beyond anecdotal evidence suggesting that veterans were not always aware of, or able to access their entitlements to welfare support. Our research examined veterans' experiences across a spectrum of benefits processes and interactions, including understanding eligibility, application processes, benefits assessments, conditionality, interactions with the DWP, and intersections between benefits and Armed Forces compensation payments and pensions. Our study concluded in the summer of 2024. over the lifetime of the project, we have given voice to 108 veterans, and carried out 298 interviews. As part of our project, we commissioned professional digital illustrator, Andrea Motta, (a University of Salford graduate), to produce a graphic novel. drawing on experiences from across the sample, the research team prepared a storyboard and script, which Andrea then used to produce the images you see here. In its finished form, the graphic novel is the result of a dialogue between the research team and Andrea, who guided us on how the story might work effectively as a visual narrative. This graphic novel tells the story of a veteran of the British Armed Forces called Carl after he leaves Service and navigates his way through civilian life. It explores his experiences of transition and employment, but the main focus is his contact with different parts of the UK benefits system. Although 'Carl' is not a real person, the issues raised in this graphic novel are rooted in the real life experiences of veterans across our research. The aim of Carl's story is not to re-inforce negative stereotypes that are sometimes associated with past military experience around PTSD, substance abuse or homelessness, for example. But neither should we shy away from the challenges that some service leavers can experience, and how this can bring them into contact with the benefits system. Our sample, therefore, reflected those who had faced (often multiple) challenges in civilian life, before and after Service. In this graphic novel, we position Carl as someone who left service somewhere in the period 2000-10, so his experiences of transition support are very different from those who left in the 1980s - or, indeed, someone who left in the last five years. His story is not, therefore, meant to be a picture of contemporary resettlement and transition support, although some of the same challenges may still occur. Most of the veterans we spoke to found employment quite quickly after leaving the Armed Forces and did not come into contact with the benefits system until many years later, often at times of crisis in their life. Carl's story reflects this. As most of our interviewees were male, we chose to make the central character a man, but we are aware the specific experiences of female veterans also need recognition.

• Book Type: Monograph
• Online Publication Date: Feb 7, 2025
• Publication Date: Feb 7, 2025
• Deposit Date: Feb 7, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 10, 2025
• ISBN: 9781912337866