£1 to £20 increase in compensation for military families without heating

The daily compensation given to military families experiencing a loss of heating in their service accommodation is to rise from £1 to £20, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has announced.

Previously, those living with a total loss of heating were compensated just £1 for each 24-hour period they had without heating in their homes. Families are now being offered £20 for each day they have no access to heating.

The announcement comes after a fresh wave of complaints have been made about the state of Service Family Accommodation (SFA), including cases of black mould, broken boilers and vermin in military homes.

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The MOD update says that the compensation scheme is to cover the increase in energy costs caused by families having to use temporary heaters, which can be very costly to run.

Families are being told to apply for their £20 compensation using an online form through Pinnacle, the company which has been asked to administer this new scheme on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) – part of the MOD.

The update also says that families can backdate their loss of heating claims from 7 December 2022. Claims before that date can be made for a £1 Love2Shop high street voucher.