Report: Soldiers cannot afford to eat

LONDON, May 11 (UPI) -- Many members of the British Army are living in poverty, with some forced to rely on emergency food voucher programs, a military report said.

The report, written for Gen. Richard Dannatt, the Chief of the General Staff, found that many are forced to leave the Army because they cannot afford to stay, The Independent reported.

Pressure from an undermanned army is "having a serious impact on retention in infantry battalions," with nearly half of all soldiers unable to take all their annual leave as they try to cover the gaps, the newspaper said.

"More and more single-income soldiers in ... are now close to the ... government definition of poverty," the report said.

It also reveals that "a number of soldiers were not eating properly because they had run out of money by the end of the month."

The newspaper said commanders are attempting to address the problem through "Hungry Soldier" programs, which allow destitute soldiers to be given loans to eat since they are no longer given three meals a day for free.