From March 2024, the MOD will begin introducing a New Accommodation Offer for our Armed Forces. Some of the changes will be available immediately whilst others may only apply to you when you are assigned to a new role, when your personal circumstances change, or at the end of the three-year transition period.
The New Accommodation Offer will modernise accommodation entitlements, improve the standard of Single Living Accommodation, update the Overseas Accommodation Offer and, overall, give our people more of a say in how they live.
The development and design of the policy has been informed by research and engagement with Service personnel and families, including through a three-year pilot which led to changes to the policy and how it is implemented.
Today, the Minister of Defence People Veterans and Service Families, Dr Andrew Murrison, announced the New Accommodation Offer for the Armed Forces from 11 March 2024 this new offer will deliver greater access to subsidised accommodation for our Service personnel, their families, and partners.
The New Accommodation Offer forms part of Defence’s outputs from the recent Defence Command Paper Refresh and Haythornthwaite review which aims to improve the offer to current and future Serving personnel.
Alongside this, the Minister also announced Widening Accommodation Entitlement (limited locations) which will allow those in Established Long Term Relationships on eight sites to benefit from Service Family Accommodation starting on the 31 October 2023.
Minister for Defence People, Veterans, and Service Families, Dr Andrew Murrison, said:
“Our Armed Forces personnel and their families make extraordinary sacrifices every day to protect our nation, so it is our duty to provide flexible living options that support their family life.
The New Accommodation Offer will provide a variety of accommodation options which will ensure all Service personnel, including those with partners and families, feel supported.”
The New Accommodation Offer– the facts:
* Needs-based allocation: The New Accommodation Offer guarantees that future allocation of homes to Service personnel will be based on the needs of the immediate families rather than the rank.
* Established Long Term Relationships: All personnel in an Established Long Term Relationship will benefit from the same Service Family Accommodation offer as personnel in both married and civil partnerships. To find out more about Established Long Term Relationships click: LTRe SWAY
* Support for parents: If you have eligible child(ren) who stay with you for more than 80 nights per calendar year, you will be able to benefit from Service Family Accommodation.
* Transitional protection: If personnel experience a reduction in their entitlement as a result of the new offer, they will be eligible to ‘transitional protection’. This will give them access to a similar sized property to what they are current entitled to for a three-year transition period after the launch of the new offer on the 11 March 2024.
* Private rental sector: In areas where Service Family Accommodation is likely to reach near capacity because of the widening of entitlement, Service personnel will be asked or given the choice of using the private rental sector, with the guidance and financial support of the MOD.
* Refund of legal expenses: Home ownership will be made more achievable by giving first time buyers the opportunity to have up to £1,500 of their legal expenses refunded alongside support from Forces Help to Buy.
* Dual Accommodation Expense: If you live in Single Living Accommodation (SLA) but your main home is elsewhere, you will be eligible to claim back the cost of your SLA up to a monthly cap.
* Defence Minimum Standard: The provision of good quality, secure Single Living Accommodation will be delivered through the implementation of the Defence Minimum Standard. o UK Armed Forces Defence Accommodation Strategy (publishing.service.gov.uk)