New Travel Credit Scheme – helping you reunite with loved ones this Christmas
A new one-off Travel Credit Scheme will help Service personnel get home to family and friends during the festive season and months that follow.
From 8 December, eligible personnel can claim for support with the cost of either road or rail travel for a return journey home. The new scheme extends the existing Get You Home (Early Years) provision.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
“When I came into office, I promised to renew our nation’s contract with those who serve us. That is why this government is improving homes for heroes, delivering the biggest military pay rise in a generation and enshrining the new Armed Forces Covenant in law to properly represent our forces community.
“Our Armed Forces make extraordinary sacrifices, and I know how important being with family is, and that is why today we’re announcing extra travel support for service personnel to be with their loved ones this Christmas.”
Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said:
“Our Armed Forces make extraordinary sacrifices to keep our country safe. Helping them get home to their families for Christmas is the least we can do to support them.
“In this new era of threat, the strength of our defence lies in the serving men and women of our forces. Having already awarded the biggest military pay rise in 20 years and launched a big new strategy to renew military housing, this Government is proudly putting our Forces First.”
Who’s eligible to receive payment
The Travel Credit Scheme is open to Regular, Mobilised Reservist and Full Time Reserve Service (Full Commitment) personnel in the second to fifth years of their service, or for those separated from non-resident children who are recorded on JPA.
This one-off initiative continues the support provided for those in early years of service, who are most likely to be separated from family and friends due to the demands of Service life and postings that can often be further from home.
Whilst many Service personnel already qualify for travel cost support, that support is not currently available to those eligible for the one-off Travel Credit Scheme.
How it works
Support covers one return journey using either road or rail travel, via Standard class Service arranged rail tickets or self-service Motor Mileage Allowance claims.
Eligible personnel can claim at Christmas or over the coming months, for return journeys with the outbound part taking place between 8 December 2025 and 31 March 2026. This ensures that those on duty over the festive season can still access support when they need it. Claims can be submitted up until the end of April 2026.
Conditions of eligibility
To be eligible, Service personnel who can claim under the new Travel Credit Scheme must:
· be assigned to the UK
· have booked leave for their period of absence, including travelling time
· have booked their travel as a return journey
Service Personnel are not eligible if they are:
· able to claim any other form of publicly funded travel, whether used or not. That includes Get you Home Travel, Overseas, Early Years, and Seagoer’s allowances; the European Commuting Allowance and Travel to Europe allowance; and the Domiciled Collective Leave (DOMCOL) scheme
· able to receive Home to Duty Travel (HDT) allowance for Service Family Accommodation or if they pay HDT Personal Contributions at the private accommodation rate
· working under the terms of an agreed Remote Working arrangement
Full eligibility rules are available via Unit HR teams. Guidance on how to claim will be provided by the Chain of Command.
Questions and answers
Is there a long-term plan to provide enhanced support to those eligible for the one-off Travel Credit Scheme?
Policy changes are being explored to improve retention. This is all part of Defence’s ongoing commitment to improving Service life and family support.
Visit the ‘Your Armed Forces Offer’ page on defnet to find out about the latest news and updates on changes and improvements to allowances, and the range of savings, support and opportunities covered.
Is the scheme available to those based overseas?
All personnel serving overseas receive a ‘Get You Home (Overseas)’ allowance and are therefore not in scope for this scheme.
Is the scheme available to Gurkhas and Foreign & Commonwealth personnel?
The scheme is an extension of existing policy and personnel registered for the Domiciled Collective Leave (DOMCOL) scheme are not eligible for Get You Home (Early Years).
Most Gurkha and Foreign and Commonwealth recruited personnel are registered for DOMCOL. Those who are not should check their eligibility with their Unit HR staff.
In addition, some Gurkha and Foreign and Commonwealth recruited personnel will be eligible for support under Get You Home (Overseas) and Get You Home (Seagoer’s Leave) provisions, which makes them ineligible for Get You Home (Early Years).
Still have a question?
Contact your unit HR team for more information about eligibility and how to claim in the first instance.