MORE than 1,000 disabled veterans were living in Wyre Forest in 2021, figures show.

This week is Armed Forces Week – a chance to show support for serving and retired military personnel.

Office for National Statistics data shows 1,167 veterans were classified as disabled under the Equalities Act in Wyre Forest – defined as a physical or mental impairment that hinders their ability to carry out day-to-day activities.

This represents 32 per cent of the 3,619 veterans living in the area when the census was carried out in March 2021.

Higher rates of disability may be explained by the older age profile of former servicepeople, given many will have been conscripted through national service, which ended in 1960.

In Wyre Forest, 57 per cent of veterans were aged 65 or older, compared to 25 per cent among the wider population of the area.

Angela Kitching, a director at the Royal British Legion, said: “With more than half a million disabled veterans in England and Wales alone, it is crucial that people in the Armed Forces community who have served and sacrificed for their country receive help and support.

"The UK Government needs to ensure it prioritises funding for social care now and in the future and provides tailored care for veterans with illness or injury, so they can have the best possible quality of life."