The Army Over-37 Provision helped support married/civil partnership Army personnel who were over 37 years of age and who met criteria to settle their family into their own home before the end of their career. The costs for Single Living Accommodation (SLA) were waived and it helped with Disturbance Expense (DE) and removals costs.
The Army Over-37 Provision is being closed to new entrants from 1 April 2024, and new SLA waivers have been introduced.
From 1 April 2024, if you are claiming the Army Over-37 Provision you will continue to have a waiver of SLA charges for a minimum of 12 months whilst the MOD accommodation team reviews the Modernised Accommodation Offer. N.B: If you are assigned between April 2024 and 2025 you will automatically move from the Over-37 Provision to the new SLA waiver.
If you had any entitlement to removals and DE under the Army Over-37 Provision, you must apply before 31 March 24 and move within 6 months.
To do this you need to complete an eligibility certificate. It’s important to check eligibility now, as no certificates will be accepted after 31 March.
More information on SLA waivers for those not claiming the Over-37 Provision or moving to an SLA waiver but who are living in SLA during the week and have their own home, is also available. See also AFF: Modernised Accommodation Offer
Back to topOn 1 July 2021, the way that Local Overseas Allowance (LOA) is calculated changed.
LOA is intended to contribute towards the additional local cost of day-to-day living when Service personnel are required to serve overseas on permanent assignment, temporary duty or exercise. Eligibility will remain the same and it will still be paid alongside the monthly salary. Please note that the new LOA package will not be applied to Defence Attachés and their support staff.
One of the most significant changes was the introduction of a single band for all Service personnel regardless of rank, removing the previous rank-based banding system.
The elements of the old LOA rate that related to support for an overseas private vehicle and respite (travel and accommodation) costs, have been broken out of the LOA daily rates. These two provisions can now be claimed when Service personnel incur the costs, rather than being included in the daily rate, and will be accessible only to Service personnel on permanent assignments overseas.
The changes that have been made mean that some Service personnel around the world will see an increase in the value of their LOA package, while for others it will remain broadly the same or decrease.
All Service personnel receiving LOA on 30 June 2021 will automatically transfer to the new LOA package on 1 July 2021. Any locations that see a significant change in the daily rate of LOA will have their rates changed gradually over a period of up to three years (1 July 2021 to 1 July 2024).
The Overseas Private Vehicle Provision became available from 1 April 2021.
The rates were released on 11 June 2021. The new rates will not be in the public domain – for more information, please ask your soldier to speak to their unit admin team to access this information.
A video has been released explaining the changes in more detail:
To find out more, see gov.uk/guidance/local-overseas-allowance-loa
The MOD has also written FAQs on LOA.
If you would like to provide any feedback about LOA, please contact moneysupport@aff.org.uk
Back to topOverseas Private Vehicle Provision (OPVP) was introduced as part of the changes to Local Overseas Allowance (LOA) which take effect from 1 July 2021.
Previously there were two schemes which assisted Service personnel with the cost of a private vehicle when they are assigned overseas:
These have changed and both schemes have been replaced with OPVP as part of the changes to LOA.
OPVP will help families on overseas postings with the cost of accessing a private vehicle in an overseas location. Depending on the circumstances, it can be claimed on assignment both into and out of the overseas location.
Service personnel can use the provision to:
The current rate is set at £1,025 as of April 2023 and will be reviewed on an annual basis.
Service personnel have the option to drive their personal vehicle to eligible countries (Germany, France, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg and the Netherlands) and claim Motor Mileage Allowance and one day’s subsistence as a contribution towards this journey. From 1 April, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar will also be added to this list.
There has also been an introduction of a greater rate of LOA which will be available to accompanied Service personnel who can demonstrate that they are running two private vehicles at the overseas location, with effect from 1 July 2021.
Transitionary arrangements have been made for Service personnel that were in receipt of the CBS element of MSLOA, on the old system. This is because it is recognised that, as at 1 July 2021, those serving at these locations will have received different amounts of financial contribution depending on the length of time they have been assigned to the location.
For more information on OPVP and the transitionary arrangements, see the directed letter.
More details can be found in JSP 752 Chapter 9 section 4. Any queries should be directed to the Service person’s Unit HR admin. If you would like to provide any feedback about OPVP, please contact moneysupport@aff.org.uk
Back to topRespite Provision (RP) was introduced as part of the changes to Local Overseas Allowance (LOA) which took effect from 1 July 2021.
Respite Provision is a contribution towards accommodation and travel costs to allow the serving person and their family to have a short respite break away from the duty station overseas.
Respite is available to all service personnel and their immediate family members who are permanently assigned overseas and when in receipt of permanent rates of LOA.
If you are claiming School Children’s Visits (SCVs) for a child, then you will not be able to claim Respite Provision for that child.
Respite costs are retrospectively claimed through the JPA Expenses Claim system. You will need to keep all your receipts and claim no later than 14 days after your break. You may be able to get an advance of pay of up to 80% of your maximum claim rate.
More details can be found in JSP 752 Chapter 9 section 5. Any queries should be directed to the Service person’s Unit HR admin. If you would like to provide any feedback about Respite Provision, please contact moneysupport@aff.org.uk
Back to topGenerally for cohabitation with your LTR partner, you are not eligible to receive any additional allowances in support of your cohabitation. However, changes to policy confirmed by the Army allowances team mean that Service personnel in the UK who are in a registered long-term relationship on JPA can get the SFA rate of Disturbance Expense on a qualifying move (e.g. on assignment to a new duty station), when occupying surplus SFA in a non-FAM area.
They can also claim UKPASH – the UK Private Arrangements Self-Help Scheme (UKPASH). This is a private removal arrangement that could help pay towards the cost of hiring a van. We would advise that the soldier contacts the unit HR admin team to discuss this. Please note that UKPASH applications must be pre-approved by unit HR admin staff and receipts provided.
For example, if a single soldier in a long-term relationship were to move from London to Catterick and successfully applied for surplus SFA, the SP would be entitled to Disturbance Expense at £1,041 and could claim UKPASH up to £280.08 (correct as of April 2023).
If you are having problems claiming these allowances or would like to share your views on allowances for those in long-term relationships, contact moneysupport@aff.org.uk
Back to topThe MOD has launched an online tool to help Service personnel, their families & anyone interested in joining the Armed Forces discover the range of support & benefits available to them. For more details visit Discover My Benefits
Back to topAFF is pleased that the MOD has recognised that military allowances can be complicated, and have produced this helpful, easy-to-read guide for soldiers and their families. The booklet provides information about the various expenses and allowances your soldier can claim.
Back to topThe Forces Help to Buy (FHTB) scheme is an advance of salary scheme, which is available to help Service personnel who want to buy their first home and to enable the option to self-build amongst eligible Service personnel.
Since 2014, Regular Service personnel have been able to take an advance of up to 50% of their gross annual salary (capped at £25,000), interest free, to purchase their own home.
The scheme aims to address low levels of home ownership in the Armed Forces, overcoming the disadvantages that mobility brings in line with the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant. It supports greater lifestyle choice and retention of personnel.
The loan is repaid through the Service person’s monthly salary, over a period of 10 years. You will be expected to live in the home whenever Service needs allow. It is taxable and soldiers should seek advice on the impact this will have on their monthly income.
For more information, please read the full government guidance at www.gov.uk/guidance/forces-help-to-buy. Further information can be found in JSP 464 Chapter 12.
If you have any questions, comments or further suggestions, then please contact AFF’s Money & Allowances team at moneysupport@aff.org.uk.
Back to topIf you are accompanying your spouse/civil partner overseas and fall pregnant, you may be entitled to an Ex-Gratia Payment in lieu of Maternity Allowance if you are prevented from claiming the normal Maternity Allowance. The MOD Ex-Gratia Payment in lieu of Maternity Allowance policy applies to eligible spouse/civil partners who accompany their Service spouses overseas to countries outside the EEA and where there is no reciprocal benefit agreement.
The Department for Work and Pensions restricts payment of UK Maternity Allowance to those who are living, and have worked, in the UK. If you do not meet the criteria for UK Maternity Allowance because you are not resident in the UK at the time of application, or your qualifying work was undertaken within the EEA, or in a country where there is a reciprocal benefit agreement, your claim will be dealt with by that country. However, if you lived and/or worked in a country outside the EEC and one without a reciprocal agreement, the MOD may consider the payment of an ex-gratia payment in lieu of Maternity Allowance. There is no automatic entitlement and payment is at the discretion of the MOD, however the intent is to consider such requests favourably.
In all cases, regardless of where you live or have worked, the first application for Maternity Allowance should always be made to the Department for Work and Pensions. They will determine your entitlement to Maternity Allowance and will notify you how to proceed. If you receive notification that you may be entitled to an ex gratia payment from the MOD, you will need to claim via your spouse/civil partner’s Unit HR staff. Defence Information Note 2018DIN01-026 provides further guidance on how to do this; this is available to serving personnel and Unit Admin staff on the Defence Intranet.
Back to topThere is a little known regulation that covers ‘Final Tour of Duty’ requests.
Ordinarily, first and final house moves in the military are not paid for at public expense; however, provision does exist for paying both Disturbance Expense (DE) and Removal of Personal Effects (RPE) at public expense for a final move, providing that a request to reside in a particular area has previously been made to the appropriate Career Manager.
If your soldier is due to complete their Service and receive an immediate pension (e.g. completed 22 yrs. or for Officers, 16yrs reckonable Service), and has completed a JPA Form F024 and submitted it to their Career Manager, they may be eligible.
Critically, if Career Managers are unable to meet the needs of the Service person (i.e. by posting them within 50 miles or 90 minutes travel time of the requested area) then they may be entitled to DE and RPE for their final move.
Further information on Final Tour of Duty eligibility can be found in JSP 752, or contact your Admin Office for more details.
Given the high cost of removals these days, filling in one little form may well save you a great deal of money in the future – it’s worth a look.
If you would like to provide any feedback about final removals or Final Tour of Duty, please contact moneysupport@aff.org.uk
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