Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families, Dr Andrew Murrison announces New Accommodation Offer and Widening Accommodation Entitlement

 

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. UK Armed Forces Defence Accommodation Strategy (publishing.service.gov.uk)

• Improving the overseas accommodation offer: Whilst the New Accommodation Offer will begin its roll out in the UK, Defence is already looking at how to roll it out overseas where possible, beginning with pilots of needs-based accommodation at selected locations.

Head of Armed Forces Accommodation Policy, Jo Barker, said:

“After an enormous amount of collaborative effort between policy makers, the Armed Forces, individual Service personnel and their families, the New Accommodation Offer will bring new accommodation options, whether you are single, married, in Established Long Term Relationship or civil partnerships.”

Widening Accommodation Entitlement (limited locations) – the facts:

Under Widening Accommodation Entitlement, Service personnel in an Established Long Term Relationship, arriving on assignment at the selected locations below after 31 October 23, will be entitled to Service Family Accommodation.

This is a first step in delivering the commitment made in the Defence Accommodation Strategy (2022) to allocate accommodation to personnel on the same basis as those who are in a civil partnerships or married.

Widening Accommodation Entitlement SWAY

Defence accommodation policy - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The following eight sites are part of the Widening Accommodation Entitlement:

• RMB Norton Manor
• RNAS Yeovilton
• Leuchars Station
• JHC FS Aldergrove
• Palace Barracks Holywood
• Thiepval Barracks Lisburn
• RAF Cosford
• RAF Shawbury

If you are already living in surplus Service Family Accommodation at any of these sites you will not be required to move out to accommodate Service personnel arriving on assignment.

Key links:

Defence accommodation policy - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

UK Armed Forces Defence Accommodation Strategy (publishing.service.gov.uk)

How to find out more:

With such substantial changes to policy, Defence will deliver a comprehensive communications package over the coming months with three New Accommodation Offer Roadshows open to personnel, their families and partners on:

28 September at RAF Brize Norton

• Morning 10:00-11:30
• Afternoon 14:00 to 15:30
• Evening 18:00-19:30

11 October at Catterick Garrison

• Morning 10:00-11:30
• Afternoon 14:00 to 15:30
• Evening 18:00-19:30

25 October at HMS Collingwood

• Morning 10:00-11:30
• Afternoon 14:00 to 15:30
• Evening 18:00-19:30

For more information on how to attend visit the SWAY: New Accommodation Offer Roadshow

Or email the team: People-Accom-Comms@mod.gov.uk

To view the New Accommodation Offer leaflet please click here: Tri-fold information leaflet

To view the Q&A document please click here: Q&A document