Future Accommodation Model (FAM)

01   FAM pilot

The pilot for FAM which ran at HMNB Clyde, RAF Wittering and Aldershot Garrison came to an end on 31 March 2023. So what does that mean going forward?

If you were on the pilot and are either staying at a pilot site or are due to be posted elsewhere you may continue to receive FAM benefits. All Service personnel currently in a FAM pilot site should have received a letter outlining your preserved rights.

You are strongly advised to contact your relevant FAM cell to discuss your eligibility and the options open to you going forward. For Army please contact people-famcell-ald@mod.gov.uk

From 31 March the Accommodation Support Cell (ASC) will replace the existing pilot FAM cells, however, all FAM cell emails will be automatically redirected to the new ASC email address: People-Accom-ASC@mod.gov.uk

If you are posted into an old FAM pilot site AFTER 31 March 2023 (or any other location), you will come under the usual accommodation entitlements as per JSP 464 volumes 1 & 2 until such time as the new accommodation policy comes in.

For more information on the existing policy, please see the AFF housing pages.

02   What now?

Under the FAM pilot, the MOD was testing various options:

• Allocation based on need vs rank
• Allowances for home ownership (both as a Selected Place of Residence (your own home further than 50 miles from your duty station) and Residence at Work Address) (your own home within 50 miles of your duty station))
• Entitlement for those in established long-term relationships (LTRE)
• Entitlement for those Service personnel who were Pstat Cat 3 or 4 but had their children for more than 80 nights a year
• The option for Service personnel and their families to choose private rental rather than SFA and receive an allowance towards the rental costs.

Policy is now being reviewed to work out which options will be carried forward into what will become the new accommodation policy.

The new Defence Accommodation Strategy (DAS) has confirmed that in the new policy accommodation will be offered based on need not rank and that those in LTRE will become entitled to subsidised accommodation.

The MOD has not currently shared further detailed information on the new accommodation policy, including whether other major changes will be made, or whether any aspects tested during the pilot will be retained.

03   When?

The current working date for the new policy to be implemented is to be announced.

04   Information

AFF appreciates that families want to understand how the changes will affect them. As soon as the MOD provides detailed information about the new policy, we will share this as soon as possible.

AFF will be hosting a Facebook live session with Jo Barker, the head of the FAM team, on Tuesday 12 December from 10-11am for all families to join for an update on the new policy and for Jo to answer any questions you may have.

Future Accommodation Model: what you need to know – GOV.UK

Defence Accommodation Strategy – GOV.UK

Defence Accommodation Policy | Defence Connect

Families can now log onto the Defence accommodation page on Defence Connect to keep up to date.

You’ll need to fill in the form and you’ll then receive a confirmation email.

Once signed up, you can also download the JIVE app to access Defence Connect.