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AFPRB 2008

(Page last updated 01/04/08)

MOD launches Armed Forces' Benefits & Pension Calculator

Source: MOD 01/04/08

The MOD has launched an internet-based Armed Forces Benefits Calculator (ABC) to make it quick and easy for Service personnel to assess the total value of their full employment package. The Armed Forces' Benefits Calculator

The ABC incorporates basic pay, specialist pay, individual allowances, pension and other MOD provided benefits to give an estimate of the package's financial worth. The Calculator will also be made available to potential recruits keen to investigate the type of reward package that might be available should they choose to join the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces Benefits Calculator can be viewed at www.mod-abc.co.uk .

MOD News Release, 07/02/08 - Government accepts AFPRB recommendations

Source: MOD 07/04/08

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE News Release (022/2008) issued by The Government News Network on 7 February 2008 Des Browne, Defence Secretary, announced today that the Government has accepted the recommendations of the independent Armed Forces' Pay Review Body and will implement them in full from 1 April 2008.

All Servicemen and women will see their basic pay go up by 2.6%. There is also an increase in X-Factor, which is an adjustment to military pay in recognition of the conditions of service experienced by members of the Armed Forces compared to those in the civilian sector, from 13% to 14%. The amount of X-Factor paid to officers at the equivalent of Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel and Brigadier ranks has also been restructured for the first time since 1974. This reflects that officers of these ranks now experience conditions and frequency of tours similar to more junior officers.

Derek Twigg, Under Secretary of State for Defence, said:

"I am delighted to be able to announce this pay rise for our Armed Forces, which is thoroughly deserved. This pay award recognises the tremendous contribution all our Service personnel continue to make at home and overseas."

Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of Defence Staff, said:

"This pay increase is good news for the Armed Forces at a time when their dedication, determination and courage continue to be tested. It reflects the outstanding contributions our people and their families are making to the defence of our nation. It is also a tangible demonstration of the high regard in which our people are held by the Government and the nation."

The Longer Separation Allowance will increase by 2.6% - giving troops deployed overseas at least £1,100 over a six month tour. The rates of Specialist Pay (including Flying Pay, Submarine Pay, Diving Pay and Hydrographic Pay) will also increase by 2.6 per cent. A new category of specialist pay is also being introduced for Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel.

In total, as a result of the increases announced today, a Private soldier deploying on their first operation will now receive:

* basic pay between £16,227 - £25,182

* £2,320 tax free Operational Allowance over a 6 month tour

* at least £1,100 in Longer Separation Allowance over a six month tour

Manning in the Armed Forces remains challenging. In response we are introducing new Financial Retention Initiatives for Nuclear Submarine Watchkeepers, Army Vehicle Mechanics, the Royal Artillery, the RAF Regiment and Firefighters.

The pay award will mean around £282million more will be spent on Armed Forces pay.

Source: Ministry of Defence media release

See also on MOD website: MOD News - Pay rise for everyone in the Armed Forces

Thirty-Seventh Armed Forces Review Body Report, 2008:

Download the AFPRB report

Herald, 04/02/08 - A fairer deal for the armed forces' junior ranks

Letters to the Editor:

As evidence accumulates about the social injustice and stupidity of the Ministry of Defence's treatment of our young service personnel and their families, how about exempting them from counter-inflation policy and ring-fencing their pay and allowances? ...

Letter from Maj (Retd) Michael Hamilton, The Herald, 04/02/08.

Max Hastings, Guardian, 07/01/08

 ... Yet this is, of course, of a piece with the wider disconnection between the government and its warriors. Those at the sharp end feel starved of resources. A brisk exchange is soon expected between the prime minister and the Armed Forces' Pay Review Body. The AFPRB is likely to recommend a substantial pay increase, not only to enable those in uniform to catch up with better paid civilian public servants, but also to address difficulties of recruitment and retention. Downing Street, however, is thought most unwilling to endorse a major hike.

The Guardian, 07/01/08 - Brown can no longer afford to treat Britain's war casualties so shoddily

Daily Telegraph - Gordon Brown braced for fight over Forces pay

Gordon Brown is preparing for a showdown with the Armed Forces as an official review is expected to recommend a "significant" increase in pay to compensate troops for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Armed Forces Pay Review Body ... is expected to call for a large rise in the "X-factor" payment received by the military to compensate for the threats and hardship troops face compared with civilian workers.

Daily Telegraph 07/01/08 - Gordon Brown braced for fight over Forces pay

About the AFPRB

The Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB) is the non-departmental public body established to review and recommend the pay and charges for members of the Naval, Military and Air Forces of the Crown. It is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, and the Office of Manpower Economics provides the Review Body with an independent Secretariat.

The Review Body's reports and recommendations are submitted jointernationaly to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister. Its chairman and deputy chairman are appointed by the Prime Minister.

In reaching its recommendations, the Review Body is directed to have regard to the following considerations:

  • the need to recruit, retain and motivate suitably able and qualified people taking account of the particular circumstances of Service life;
  • Government policies for improving public services, including the requirement on the Ministry of Defence to meet the output targets for the delivery of departmental services;
  • the funds available to the Ministry of Defence as set out in the Government' s departmental expenditure limits; and
  • the Government' s inflation target.

Furthermore -

The Review Body shall have regard for the need for the pay of the Armed Forces to be broadly comparable with pay levels in civilian life. The Review Body shall, in reaching its recommendations, take account of the evidence submitted to it by the Government and others. The Review Body may also consider other specific issues as the occasion arises.

(Source: AFPRB).

Most of the Review Body's recommendations are set out in its Annual Report, which is generally published in late February. The AFPRB Annual Report 2008 will be its 37th.

The AFPRB and Service Accommodation

The Pay Review Body's remit covers not only pay but deductions such as accommodation charges, both for Single Living accommodation (SLA) and Service Family accommodation (SFA). It has commented in previous reports on accommodation standards and budgets. This is an important passage from the AFPRB 36th Report (February 2007), Chapter 5:

accommodation standards and funding

5.2 During our visits to Service units, both in the UK and overseas, we continue to see a wide range of SLA and SFA. These visits inform our consideration of accommodation charges as they enable us to see, at first hand, the standard of the accommodation that we are asked to recommend upon. We can also assess differences between new, upgraded accommodation and older, lower quality accommodation which many Service personnel still experience.

5.3 We also discuss with Service personnel and their families the advantages and disadvantages of living in Service accommodation. The standard of SLA and SFA is one of the main issues raised repeatedly with us on our visits. Where personnel have access to new and upgraded accommodation they are generally positive. However, for those personnel moving from such accommodation to that of a lower standard the difference in quality becomes even more stark and, as anecdotal evidence suggests, can contribute to retention problems. Similarly, those who enjoy high quality accommodation during initial training periods often tell us that, on posting to units, accommodation fails to meet expectations. In its evidence MOD remained committed to the provision of good quality accommodation for Service personnel, but recognised that reductions in targets for improvements set in previous years, and the time taken to deliver the improvement programmes, did impact on the quality of life for Service personnel and their families.

5.4 We have repeatedly expressed our disappointment that accommodation budgets have been pared back in successive years. The consequences for Service accommodation in the long term and the potential impact on retention were widely recognised by the Secretary of State, the PPOs and the Chief Executive of Defence Estates in oral evidence. We urge MOD to reconsider the funding made available for accommodation new build, improvement programmes and ongoing maintenance, and to ensure it is ring-fenced, to deliver on promises to Service personnel.

External links:

Office of Manpower Economics - AFPRB official webpage

AFPRB Thirty-Sixth Report (2007)

MOD Army - Serving Soldier - An Introduction to Military Pay