Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many former service men and women were in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance in each of the last five years.

When claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance a person is only asked about their last job if it ended in the last 6 months. The data about their last job, if they had one, is recorded but could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

From April 2014 Individuals have also been asked by their Work Coach if they were formerly in HM Forces to ensure they are offered the most appropriate support. A marker recording their response is placed on their labour market account. The data available is not sufficiently robust to be published and will only provide a partial picture, as it is voluntarily provided information.