The government will “renew the nation’s contract with those who serve,” as it confirms that Armed Forces personnel will receive a six per cent pay rise – the largest in 22 years.
This year’s pay award recognises the extraordinary sacrifices made by Armed Forces personnel to protect and serve the UK – and will help address recruitment and retention challenges.
It will also see new recruits awarded the largest increase for more than 20 years, meaning that, for the first time, the starting Armed Forces salary will be in line with the National Living Wage.
It comes as the new government sets out a clear commitment to improving service life and making military careers more attractive. In the recent King’s Speech, the government announced the creation of a new Armed Forces Commissioner – a strong, independent voice for service personnel and their families.
The Defence Secretary has also pledged to bring the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law. Taken together, these measures show a government getting on with the job of supporting Britain’s service personnel and tackling recruitment challenges.
The independent Armed Forces Pay Review Body and Senior Salaries Review Body recommendations for 2024 have been fully accepted by the Government and will be backdated to 1 April 2024.
Highlights from the 2024 Pay Award are:
- Initial Pay (payable to Other Ranks during their first six months or until completion of initial training, whichever is sooner) will increase to £25,200 from 1 April 2024.
- Most Service Personnel up to and including 1-star rank and others in the Armed Forces Pay Review Body’s remit group (including Medical and Dental Officers) will receive an overall 6% pay increase (against 1 April 2023 rates) backdated to 1 April 2024.
- The lowest-paid personnel (OR2-01) have been awarded a higher level of investment. In April 2024, they received a 7.25% pay increase, both ensuring they received National Living Wage uplifts at the same time as other public sector workforces and providing a pay rise of c.£1,700 per year for around 6,700 personnel.
- The MOD also implemented small increases to OR2-02/3 rates on 1 April 2024; This group will see a further uplift under the pay award, providing them with an overall 6% increase above 1 April 2023 rates.
- All members of the senior military (2-star rank and above) will receive a 5% consolidated increase to their base pay.
- The pay award will also see increases to other targeted forms of remuneration, representing an annual increase of c.£3,000 in the nominal average salary in the Armed Forces as well as an annual increase of c.£1,878 in the starting salary for an officer.
- Service Personnel receive a comprehensive benefits package, including subsidised food, medical and dental care, accommodation, and childcare.
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