British veterans who served in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan face losing essential financial support because of the Government’s benefit cuts, charity Help for Heroes has warned. The charity’s helpline is receiving calls from veterans and their families who fear a “vital lifeline” will be taken away.

There is particular concern that the Government’s decision to cut the number receiving Personal Independence Payments (PIP) by 800,000 will lead to ex-service personnel with mental health issues without support. Carol Betteridge, a Help for Heroes director who ran the field hospital in Helmand Province during British presence in Afghanistan, said: “Within this package of benefit reforms also lies the tightening of PIP eligibility, threatening to strip away a vital lifeline for many, which may be especially difficult for veterans who need mental health support.

“Mental health issues are often given less consideration compared with physical health issues, but they can be just as devastating. According to research, there are over 700,000 former serving personnel who find their mental health challenging – and the real figure is surely higher, as we know that many veterans delay seeking help due to stigma and pride.

“Stricter rules could shut them out completely, leaving the charity sector to pick up the pieces. It is therefore no surprise that at Help for Heroes, our helpline is already receiving calls from veterans and their families worried what this means for them and their future.

“The Government says these reforms are about getting more people back into work.”

She said veterans were keen to work but needed support.

She added: “Let’s remember, these are highly skilled, disciplined men and women who have dedicated their lives to service. If we expect them to risk everything for their country, we must ensure their country is there for them when they most need it.”

And she warned that serving their country left many veterans with genuine and serious physical and mental health issues.

Ms Betteridge said: “I have seen first-hand the devastating impact of conflict. In 2011, it was my honour to Command the military hospital in Helmand during the Afghanistan war, treating our wounded on the front line.

“There, we were able to meet the immediate needs of those who came in through our doors – but we knew that for many, their lives had changed forever. Injuries, trauma, mental scars – these do not always fade when service ends, and our duty to support those who have given us their service does not end when the plane lands back in the UK.”

Benefit cuts announced by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall and Chancellor Rachel Reeves mean 370,00 current PIP recipients are expected to lose entitlement an average of £4,500 a year, and 430,000 future recipients who would have received the money will no longer be eligible.

In addition, 2.25million recipients of the health element of Universal Credit are to lose £500 per year on average while 730,000 future recipients will lose £3,000 a year.

Some Labour MPs have vowed to fight the cuts, with left-wing Labour MP Richard Burgon predicting “the mother of all rebellions”.