1.0 Introduction 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 (AFPS).… Read More
Introduction The provision of welfare support for UK veterans was set up in its current form in 1948, to ensure those ex-service personnel with welfare needs were supported by the State. All of the below links go to webpages on the official UK Government website (gov.uk) or NHS. What is Veterans UK? Veterans UK provide… Read More
Did you know that Veterans can access the same services provided by the Ministry of Defence no matter where in the world they live? Veterans’ Gateway is the first point of call for veterans needing support, signposting veterans to support organisations within their local area or country of residence. The service offers a 24/7 Instant… Read More
Regulars and Reserves who were in the Armed Forces pension scheme (AFPS) on or before 31 March 2012 and on or after 01 April 2015 could benefit from a rule change. Eligible personnel who were transferred from legacy schemes (AFPS 75 and 05 for Regulars or FTRS 97, RFPS 05 and NRPS for Reservists) will… Read More
Soldiers face a wait to find out how they will be affected by a recent ruling on firefighter pensions. An earlier court decision found that changes made to the emergency service workers’ arrangements in 2015 discriminated against younger staff who were forced to move to less beneficial schemes. The government tried to appeal against the… Read More
What is the AFPS? All members of the armed forces are automatically enrolled into the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) and, unlike almost all other schemes, members pay 0% in contributions each month. The scheme is also protected by legislation and distributed from the public purse. Three APFS Schemes There are three revisions of the… Read More
Regulars who rejoin as a Reserve will see their pension abated. This applies to those on Full-time Reserve Service (FTRS) (AFPRB, 2018, p.20). Further, Reservists are expected to leave the Service at age 55 but the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 15 does not pay out until age (AFPRB, 2018). However, there is a practice that… Read More
