Armed forces veterans and their families will get priority access to social housing under new rules published by the government.

Councils will have to prioritise veterans for social housing and waive rules requiring applicants show a connection to the local area for veterans’ families, under new guidelines.

The announcement follows Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s promise to give veterans, alongside care leavers and domestic abuse survivors, a “guaranteed roof over their head” in his Labour Party conference speech.

But housing charity Shelter said rule changes would have no impact unless the government addressed a chronic lack of social housing in the UK.