Veterans are having to go without heating and are wondering how to pay their bills as the cost of living crisis hits.
Douglas Latta, 72, who served in the Royal Navy for seven years, says he has to turn off his heating because of the rising price of essentials like food, energy and fuel.
Mr Latta, the secretary of the Royal British Legion in Dunfermline, served as an armourer in the Royal Navy from 1966 to 1973 and was posted all over the world, including the Far East, Middle East and West Indies.
‘I am now not bothering with the heating’
Despite his seven years of service, Mr Latta says he and others at the Dunfermline Legion are now being hit hard by the rising cost of living and are now struggling.
He said: “We are all asking what do we do?, how am I going to pay this?
“Personally I am now not bothering with the heating – I am putting on an extra jersey and going to bed early instead, things like that.
“People will have to cut their cloth to suit.”
He spoke out as Labour’s shadow defence secretary John Healey and Scottish party leader Anas Sarwar visited the Legion to hear first hand how rising costs hit ordinary people.
Last month Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a number of measures in his spring statement, including cutting fuel duty, raising the national insurance threshold, cutting income tax and doubling the household support fund.
Mr Latta says he would have liked to see the chancellor go further to help veterans and those on low incomes.
He added: “The government could have done a lot more in their mini budget because the cost of everything is going up.
“They need to step in, but I will not hold my breath.
“I think the government has done everything it is going to do, unless we get a really cold snap.”
Crisis hitting veterans from every direction
Speaking to us after their visit on Monday, Mr Healey accused the Scottish and UK Governments of failing armed forces and their families.
He said: “Veterans are saying the cost of living crisis is hitting them from every direction.
“They know just how hard it can be as the basic cost of food, fuel and energy rises.
“Both governments need to do more to help and we are frustrated – Anas is frustrated in Holyrood and I am frustrated in the House of Commons.
“Labour is proposing things that could help, such as freezing rail fares, a £100 rebate on water rates, and we are pressing for a windfall tax on oil and gas companies – that could reduce bills by £600 for most people.
Mr Healey also criticised UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace for what he says will be a real-terms cut in the Ministry of Defence’s day-to-day spending over the next three years.
He says this will result in less money for recruitment, training, pay and family support.
Huge thanks to Dunfermline @PoppyLegion branch chairman Norman MacGregor and members for your warm welcome to me and @AnasSarwar today. The tea and talk were a real treat… pic.twitter.com/TrbcC25n3B
— John Healey MP (@JohnHealey_MP) April 4, 2022
‘Cost of living election’ on May 5
Mr Sarwar said: “Every single Scot is living through the cost of living crisis and yet neither of Scotland’s governments are doing anywhere near enough to help.
“The 5 May is a cost of living election.”
Meanwhile, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was in Govan promoting the Scottish Government’s Scottish Child Payment which has doubled to £20 per week per child.
Around 104,000 children are expected to benefit from the increase, which came into force on Friday.
Ms Sturgeon said: “We are using our social security powers to take immediate steps to put cash in the pockets of families by doubling the Scottish Child Payment to £20 per week per child – support not replicated anywhere else in the UK.”
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