A world class pension scheme for your military service
When a member of the armed forces reaches their retirement age, they receive one of the most generous pensions available in the UK. This fairly reflects the unique sacrifice they have provided their country throughout their career.
All members of the armed forces are automatically enrolled into the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. Unlike all other public schemes, members pay 0% in contributions each month. The scheme is unfunded and paid from the public purse.
Deferred and Preserved Pension Entitlement
A Guide to Deferred and Preserved Pension Entitlement
Pension Codes: the amounts of service retired pay and pensions, service invaliding retired pay and pensions, service attributable retired pay and pensions, gratuities and resettlement grants are shown in the pension code. The pension code is revised annually.
Please also note that a new pension tax site has been launched through the MOD’s intranet site that provides further guidance and other useful information.
If you have built up pension benefits elsewhere before joining the armed forces you have the option to transfer in the value of your other benefits to receive a service credit in your Armed Forces Pension Scheme.
Before you apply to DBS Veterans UK for a transfer in, you need to obtain details of the amount of your transfer value from your previous pension scheme, and then an estimate from DBS Veterans UK of the additional pension that this will buy. If you decide to go ahead with the transfer, you should make your application to DBS Veterans UK in writing.
You must be serving in the armed forces to be eligible to transfer in and once you have committed yourself to a transfer from your previous pension scheme, you cannot change your mind and you will have given up forever your rights and those of your dependants under the previous schemes.
Transfers into AFPS 15 must be completed within one year of joining the scheme. For members who remain solely in AFPS 75 and AFPS 05 who may still make transfers in from a non-public service scheme. AFSP 75 the transfer in must be made before your 54 birthday and in AFPS 05 the transfer in must be made before the beginning of your final year of service before your pension is due.
If you leave without receiving immediate pension benefits (including leaving with an Early Departure Payment (EDP) under AFPS 15 or AFPS 05) you have the option to transfer the value of your deferred pension benefits to other defined benefit schemes. A pension in payment cannot be transferred.
However, the government has prevented transfers from unfunded public service defined benefit schemes (such as the AFPS to funded defined contribution schemes in UK or abroad. The Pension Schemes Act 2015 and the Taxation of Pensions Act 2014 made this rule.
Application for pension transfers should be made to:
DBS Veterans UK Pensions Division Mail Point 480 Kentigern House 65 Brown Street Glasgow G2 8EX
Resettlement Grant
Resettlement Grants assist those leaving the regular armed forces to resettle into civilian life after completing a substantial period of service. A Resettlement Grant is not a pension.
It is a tax-free lump sum paid to regular service personnel, who, at the time they leave the services, are not eligible for Early Departure Payment benefits, an Immediate Pension or ill health award (or any other immediate pension benefits) and they meet Resettlement Grant qualification criteria, which are:
AFPS 2015 and AFPS 2005: all personnel need to have 12 years’ relevant service (from date of entry)
AFPS 1975: Officers to have at least 2 years’ Commissioned service and have 9 relevant years of reckonable service from age 21
AFPS 1975: other ranks to have 12 relevant years of reckonable service from age 18.
The value of the Resettlement Grant is:
AFPS 2005 and AFPS 2015: £12,692
AFPS 1975 - please see the latest tri-service codes, published each year on gov.uk.
The Resettlement Grant is increased each year at the same rate as armed forces pensionable pay.
Only 1 resettlement grant is awarded, for those who have service in more than one scheme. If personnel are re-employed after leaving they may have to re-pay some or all of the grant. See the re-employment booklet for more details.
The Pension Board is responsible for assisting the Secretary of State for Defence, as Scheme Manager, in ensuring compliance with the scheme regulations and other legislation relating to the governance and administration of the scheme and any statutory pension scheme that is connected with it.
Veterans UK forms
If you have been advised that you need to complete a form or view a detailed pension scheme guide, you can find these on the Veterans UK pensions forms page.
Armed Forces Pension Schemes consolidated factors list
The purpose of these tables is to set out in one place for convenience the actuarial factors provided by the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) to the MOD from time to time in respect of Armed Forces Pension Schemes.
Diagrams with guidance to help customers with the AFPS.
These journey maps illustrate the flow of various processes within the scheme, such as Early Payment of Preserved Pension (EPPP) and Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure (IDRP), so that customers can see the end-to-end process regarding their Armed Forces Pension.
Added 'Delay in issuing Remediable Service Statement (RSS) statement'.
14 November 2024
Added 'How to calculate your public service pension adjustment (HMRC video)'.
8 November 2024
Added 'AFPS members’ guide to Lump Sum Allowance and Lump Sum Death Benefit Allowance' and link to 'Calculate your public service pension adjustment'.
1 November 2024
Updated: Pension Savings Tax section.
31 October 2024
Added: Armed Forces Pension Scheme – a guide to your Pension Savings Statement for tax year 2023/24 and Armed Forces Pension Scheme Pension Savings Tax Booklet - AFPS members’ guide to Pension Savings Tax Annual Allowance (AA) and 2015 Pension Remedy Retrospective Adjustment.
23 October 2024
Added: 'Armed Forces and Reserve Pension Schemes: Re-employment'; 'Gurkha Pensions: What scheme are you in? (English and Nepalese)'; 'Differences between the Armed Forces Pension Schemes and the Gurkha Pension Scheme (English and Nepalese)' and 'The Indian Central Pay Commission and the Gurkha Pension Scheme - factsheet (English and Nepalese)'.
11 October 2024
Removed: Armed Forces and Reserve Pension Schemes (re-employment) which is no longer current.
2 October 2024
Added link to legislation, 'The Armed Forces Pensions (Remediable Service) Regulations 2023'.
9 July 2024
Added '2015 Pension Remedy - Divorce Information Note'.
11 June 2024
Added AFPS Tier Awards Fact Sheet
22 May 2024
Guidance included for Deferred and Preserved Pension Entitlement.
15 May 2024
Updated: Member Voluntary Contributions (MVC) Factsheet.
Added 'The Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015: Added Pension Explained'.
28 March 2024
Added 'The process for purchasing Added Pension contracts under AFPS 15'.
11 March 2024
Added: subsection 'Pension forfeiture'.
7 March 2024
Added Pension Savings Tax newsletter.
19 February 2024
Updated 'Annual Allowance and 2015 Pension Remedy Newsletter'.
15 February 2024
Added 'Armed Forces Pension Schemes consolidated factors: 2023 to 2024'.
9 February 2024
Added 'Member Voluntary Contributions (MVC) Factsheet' under 2015 Pension Remedy, and added 'Annual Allowance and 2015 Pension Remedy Newsletter' under Pension Savings Tax.
26 January 2024
Updated the value of the AFPS 2005 and AFPS 2015 Resettlement grant.
23 January 2024
Added 'Remediable Service Statement (RSS) User Guide - immediate choice'.
9 January 2024
Added a link to 'Actuarial valuation of the Armed Forces Pension Schemes 2020' under '2015 scheme'.
4 January 2024
Updated 'The Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015: Your Pension Scheme Explained '.
29 November 2023
Heading ‘2015 remedy update’ changed to ‘2015 Pension Remedy’.
22 November 2023
Updated: Member Voluntary Contributions factsheet.
17 November 2023
Updated 'Remediable Service Statement (RSS) User Guide'.
14 November 2023
Added 'Remediable Service Statement (RSS) User Guide' under '2015 Remedy update'.
3 October 2023
Section '2015 Remedy update' updated with 'Remedy Explained booklet'.
29 September 2023
Added: 'Member Voluntary Contributions factsheet' under '2015 Remedy update'.
26 September 2023
Updated '2015 Remedy update - September 2023', and added 'Compensation claim form' and 'Contingent Decisions claim form'.
19 September 2023
Removed 'Family pension and ill-health benefit' section as information is out-of-date and more relevant information can be found in the relevant scheme booklets.
15 September 2023
Added 2015 Remedy update - September 2023.
7 September 2023
'2015 Remedy Tax Booklet' added under 'Taxation'.
21 July 2023
Added information under the 'Taxation' heading.
10 July 2023
Updated 'Pension Taxation Booklet'.
20 June 2023
Updated 'Armed forces factor summary'.
22 May 2023
Updated 'Armed Forces and Reserve Pension Schemes (re-employment)'.
18 April 2023
Updated information under 'Resettlement Grant' heading.
13 April 2023
Updated information under 'Resettlement Grant' heading.
3 April 2023
Added: 'Retrospective Remedy FAQs' under subheading '2015 Remedy update'.
8 March 2023
Added: AFPS customer journey maps.
6 March 2023
Addition of link to 'Armed Forces Pension Scheme: Retrospective Remedy' consultation under '2015 Remedy update'.
Added a link to Armed Forces Pension Scheme 1975 (JSP 854).
5 July 2022
Updated Pension Taxation Booklet attachment.
29 June 2022
Updated the Pension Taxation Booklet.
17 June 2022
Edited link under 'Taxation' to most recent guidance.
31 March 2022
Removed outdated section on 'Pension taxation seminars and one-to-one sessions for the Armed Forces'
29 March 2022
Addition of new section, 'Gibraltar Pension Scheme'.
4 January 2022
Addition of: Pension taxation seminars and one-to-one sessions for the Armed Forces.
22 December 2021
Update of guidance - adjustments to pensions due to guaranteed minimum payment - December 2021
26 November 2021
Addition of news story under subheading 'The Victoria Cross and George Cross'.
22 November 2021
Addition of link to 'Armed Forces Pension Scheme: Future pension provision from 1 April 2022' under the heading 'McCloud update'.
14 September 2021
Addition of: The Armed Forces Early Departure Payments Scheme Regulations 2014 to the legislation list.
13 September 2021
Document updated: 'Armed Forces Pension members guide to taxation of pension benefits' under the heading 'Taxation'.
23 July 2021
Added Pension Sharing Order Corrections Factsheet
22 July 2021
Added McCloud Update - July 2021
7 June 2021
Updated: resettlement grant figures.
18 December 2020
Addition of: Gurkha Pension Manual and updated the text under AFPS 1975 heading.
25 November 2020
Addition of information relating to adjustments to pensions November 2020.
13 November 2020
Updated the Armed Forces Pension taxation booklet.
29 September 2020
Addition of: Armed Forces Pension Arrangements Pension Sharing on Divorce.
23 July 2020
Updated the links under the 'Taxation' heading.
22 July 2020
Added updated versions of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme guidance booklets 1975, 2005 and 2015.
16 July 2020
Updated the information under the McCloud heading.
15 May 2020
Replaced Pension Benefits on Divorce with updated links.
1 May 2020
Corrected the link titles under the divorce section.
4 March 2020
Addition of armed forces pension scheme consolidated factors list.
20 February 2020
Amended the formatting and added new 'McCloud update' heading.
20 February 2020
Added the McCloud update document under the 'Taxation' heading.
5 September 2019
Updated the taxation section of the web page with additional information.
14 August 2019
Updated the text to reflect the most important information about Armed Forces Pension schemes.
28 January 2019
Included email address
19 November 2018
New link added to the forms section
1 August 2018
Guidance re-written to help service personnel and veterans find out about their pensions. There has not been any changes to the available pension schemes.
25 May 2018
CICO form replaced with the latest version
28 April 2016
Added contact details for the Equiniti Paymaster (EP) Communications Centre (for armed forces pension payments queries).
14 March 2016
CICO claim form replaced with latest edition
21 January 2016
Added information about AFPS 15.
14 October 2015
Updated contact details.
3 June 2015
Updated the JPAC enquiry Centre information.
18 May 2015
Added information about Gurkha Ex-Far East Prisoners of War Scheme.
15 May 2015
Added information about the Far Eastern Prisoners of War Ex-Gratia Scheme
14 May 2015
Updated the Criminal injuries compensation (overseas) scheme.
7 May 2015
Updated text adding section "Changes from April 2015 affecting transfer out. Updated Service deferred pensions section.
24 March 2015
Updated 'Service preserved pensions' section.
20 February 2015
Replaced list of links for Pension codes to one link to Pension code page. Removed MMP 123 booklet.
8 September 2014
Updated AFPS 15 information and added new video.
4 June 2014
Added updated CIC(O) claim form.
1 April 2014
Updated current contact details and information to reflect organisational changes.
18 February 2014
Added contact information regarding AFPS 15 enquiries.
29 January 2014
Added paragraph on "Stakeholder Pensions".
28 November 2013
Armed forces compensation content removed and published separately on a new page.
18 September 2013
Updated the AFPS 2015 section
3 June 2013
Updated with information on the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. Added video and transcript
28 May 2013
Added information about legislation for the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
17 May 2013
Removed commeration information and added link to Support for Veterans page.