New Study Spotlight: The Veterans’ Digital Needs Survey
Welcome to 'New Study Spotlight', where we interview researchers about their new studies to raise awareness and keep you up to date with current research focused on the Armed Forces community. Read on to learn about new research, its importance and relevance, aims, and intended impact and benefit for the Armed Forces community. To learn about all current UK research with the Armed Forces community, you can search Ongoing Research here.
In this issue, we interviewed Dr Daniel Leightley (King's College London), about their new research: The Veterans’ Digital Needs Survey.
The Veterans’ Digital Needs Survey is an online study led by King’s College London that maps how UK Veterans’ access and use digital technology and pinpoints the barriers that leave some ex-Service personnel digitally excluded.
Why is this research important and why now?
Virtually every public, health and welfare service from booking a GP appointment to claiming benefits and keeping in touch with family is now delivered online. Yet many Veterans lack suitable devices, affordable connectivity or the confidence to go digital, risking widening inequalities at a time when government is accelerating the shift to “digital-by-default” services.
What is the problem in the world that this aims to address?
Digital exclusion among Veterans can lead to poorer health outcomes, financial disadvantage, and social isolation because key services and support networks are moving online. Understanding the scale and nature of those barriers is the first step towards targeted solutions.
What questions will the research aim to answer?
We aim to answer:
- Which digital devices and online services do UK Veterans use, and how often?
- What barriers, such as equipment, connectivity, skills or confidence, limit Veterans’ digital engagement?
- What forms of support would help Veterans build digital confidence and inclusion?
How will it answer these questions (the research method in lay terms)?
An open, anonymous survey (May–Sep 2025) invites any UK Veteran or a family member/carer completing it on their behalf, to answer a mix of tick-box and short free-text questions about their devices, online habits, and challenges.
The survey is currently live and can be completed here.
What are the intended outcomes and impact of the research?
Findings will inform practical interventions such as device-loan schemes, tailored digital-skills training and guidance for service charities, the NHS and local authorities. They will also supply robust evidence for policymakers shaping the next wave of digital inclusion strategy, helping to ensure no Veteran is left behind in an increasingly online society.
Who is funding the research?
King’s College London has funded this research.
What are the project's key milestones (e.g. recruitment, analysis, results available)?
Recruitment for the survey began in May 2025, when the questionnaire went live and was promoted through Veterans’ networks. Participation will remain open until late August 2025, after which the research team will spend September cleaning the data and conducting preliminary analyses. A report will be published by the end of the year.
Many thanks to Dr Daniel Leightley for authoring this New Study Spotlight.
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