A petition calling for veteran status to be recognised as a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 has been gaining attention across military communities.
Launched by Stuart Fawcett, a former Royal Navy officer, the petition argues that veterans deserve legal protection against discrimination in healthcare, housing, employment, and the justice system. The proposal has sparked important conversations about how we support those who’ve served and whether formal legal recognition would improve outcomes for veterans.
As an organisation working daily with veterans in the justice system, we wanted to help our community understand what this petition proposes, why it matters, and what it could mean in practice.
Who Is Stuart Fawcett, and Why Did He Start This Petition?
Stuart Fawcett’s advocacy for veterans comes from personal experience. After being medically discharged from the Royal Navy at just 20 years old, Fawcett faced the difficult reality of transitioning from military to civilian life whilst dealing with the impact of a service-related injury.
The challenges he encountered during this period shaped his understanding of the gaps in support and protection that veterans can face.
Rather than simply accepting these difficulties as inevitable, Fawcett made it his mission to advocate for fellow veterans. His petition to make veteran status a protected characteristic represents his belief that formal legal protection could prevent others from experiencing the discrimination and barriers he witnessed and experienced firsthand.
What Is a Protected Characteristic?
Before exploring what the petition proposes, it’s important to understand what a protected characteristic means under UK law.
The Equality Act 2010 currently recognises nine protected characteristics:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Marriage and civil partnership
- Pregnancy and maternity
- Race
- Religion or belief
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
When something is designated a protected characteristic, it means that individuals cannot be discriminated against on that basis in areas including employment, education, access to goods and services, and housing.
Organisations have a legal duty to prevent discrimination, and individuals have legal recourse if discrimination occurs.
Is Veteran Status a Protected Characteristic Currently?
To answer this question directly: no, veteran status is not currently a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 in the UK.
Whilst veterans may be protected under other characteristics (for example, if they have a service-related disability or if discrimination is related to age), their veteran status itself is not protected in the way that race, sex, or religion are protected.
It’s worth noting that the UK does have a framework designed to support the armed forces community: the Armed Forces Covenant. This covenant exists to ensure that individuals in the armed forces community, such as serving personnel, veterans, and their families, are treated with fairness and have equal access to public and commercial services.
The covenant sets important expectations for how veterans should be treated. It recognises the unique contributions and sacrifices made by the armed forces community and commits to ensuring they face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in accessing healthcare, education, housing, and other services.
Many organisations have signed the covenant, pledging their commitment to these principles. Since November 2022, the Covenant Legal Duty has been in force, meaning that certain public bodies such as local authorities, several NHS bodies and other organisations are obligated to have due regard to the Armed Forces Covenant when carrying out certain functions.
What the Petition Proposes
Fawcett’s petition calls for veteran status to be added to the Equality Act 2010 as a protected characteristic. In practical terms, this would mean that veterans could not be legally discriminated against based on their veteran status in employment, housing, healthcare, education, or access to services.
If implemented, all organisations would have a legal duty to ensure they’re not treating veterans unfairly because of their service. Veterans who experienced discrimination would have the same legal recourse available to people discriminated against based on other protected characteristics. Employment tribunals, courts, and equality bodies would have clear frameworks for addressing veteran-related discrimination.
This would be different from the Armed Forces Covenant, as while the Covenant sets expectations and some public bodies now have a legal duty to consider it, it doesn’t create the same enforceable protection against discrimination that protected characteristics do under the Equality Act.
Different Perspectives on the Issue
It’s important to acknowledge that there are different perspectives on this proposal within the veteran community itself.
Some veterans strongly support legal protection, believing it would address the real discrimination they’ve experienced and provide important safeguards. Others feel that they don’t need special protection and prefer to be treated simply as civilians without drawing attention to their veteran status.
Some argue that the Armed Forces Covenant is sufficient and that making veteran status a protected characteristic could create unintended consequences or complexity. Others point out that voluntary frameworks have clear limitations and that legal protection would ensure consistency across all sectors and organisations.
These are valid perspectives with thoughtful reasoning behind them. The question of whether legal protection is necessary is complex. People’s experiences of military life, transition, discrimination, and support vary enormously, and those experiences shape perspectives on what’s needed.
How You Can Learn More and Get Involved
If this issue interests you and you’d like to understand it more deeply, we encourage you to read the full petition and the detailed explanation provided. Read Stuart Fawcett’s petition on the UK Parliament website.
Whatever your conclusion, the conversation this petition has sparked about how we recognise, support, and protect veterans in civilian society is valuable in itself. It pushes us to think carefully about the gap between our stated commitment to veterans and the practical reality of the systems and protections we have in place.
Our Commitment to Veterans
At Care after Combat, our focus is on providing practical, meaningful support to veterans in the justice system, regardless of what legal frameworks exist around protected characteristics. We believe every veteran deserves dignity, respect, and the opportunity to rebuild their lives successfully.
Whether or not veteran status becomes a protected characteristic, we’ll continue providing one-to-one mentorship and consistent care to the veterans who need us, and we’ll continue believing that veterans deserve our best efforts, always.
If you’d like to support our work with veterans in the justice system, find out how you can help. Every contribution helps us provide the consistent, informed, compassionate support that changes lives.
The petition remains open for signatures, and the conversation about how best to support veterans continues. Whatever your perspective, thank you for taking the time to engage thoughtfully with this important issue.