Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has welcomed the UK Minister for Veterans and People, Louise Sandher-Jones, to Belfast to meet the team operating the newly established Veterans Support Line NI.

Managed by the Department for Communities, the Veterans Support Line NI is a dedicated service designed to provide comprehensive information regarding benefits eligibility, welfare options, and additional support systems. The facility is available to veterans, active serving personnel, and their families, and features both a dedicated freephone telephone number and a corresponding text message service.

Minister Lyons said: "I am pleased to welcome Minister Sandher-Jones and highlight the important work being done by the Veterans Support Line NI. "This service offers a clear, trauma-informed pathway for veterans to engage with the Department's services, supported by staff who understand the unique challenges associated with military service."

Minister Sandher-Jones said: "The Veterans Support Line NI is a significant step forward in making sure those who have served, and their families, can access the support they need quickly and with confidence.

"No veteran should face barriers when it comes to housing, welfare or wider support, and this service will play an important role in helping people navigate that system.

"I'm grateful to Minister Lyons and his team for the strong partnership behind this work, which will make a real difference for the veterans community here in Northern Ireland."

Individuals wishing to contact the Veterans Support Line NI can do so by calling the freephone number 0800 158 5556, or by sending a text message with the word ADVICE to 07860 042576.