Armed Forces personnel to get 5% pay rise – police officers to get 7%

UK Armed Forces personnel are to get a pay rise of 5%, plus a consolidated payment of £1,000 – a permanent extra amount added to their basic salary.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has accepted all public sector pay rise recommendations following pressure from his own Cabinet.

The Government has announced that most public sector workers will get at least 6%, with police and prison officers receiving a 7% pay rise.

• Sunak insists he will take responsible approach to Armed Forces pay deal
• Armed Forces pay decision 'may not be popular', Rishi Sunak says
• Who decides if military personnel get a pay rise?

Treasury minister John Glen told the Commons: "The lowest paid Armed Forces will see a pay rise of over £2,000... Armed Forces will receive a 5% uplift, with an additional consolidated £1,000 increase."

He added: "The action we have taken today is the most responsible way forward, striking a balance between the demands of our public sector workers and the needs of our country and economy.

"We must deliver on the Prime Minister's pledge to cut inflation. So we will continue to chart the course of sound money to the benefit of all, whilst making fair pay awards, awards that do not fuel inflation, to our public sector workers."

The Armed Forces' Pay Review Body recommended that Service Family Accommodation (SFA) Band A charges should increase by 4.5% in 2023. The government has rejected this recommendation and agreed to freeze SFA charges at 2022 levels.

However, a recommendation that Single Living Accommodation charges go up by 4.5% has been accepted.

The money to fund any increase in pay will come from the MOD's existing budget and through cutbacks in civil service recruitment in the department until March 2025.

In a written statement to Parliament, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: "In addition to the pay award, the MOD has continued to freeze the daily food charge for our personnel, and the availability of free wrap-around childcare is increasing across defence with families able to save around £3,400 per child per year.

"Any service families facing hardships, of any kind, should approach their welfare officer so that further support can be discussed," the statement went on to say.

Other sectors

Armed Forces personnel, who are banned from striking, are in the lowest percentage pay rise band.

Other public sector workers, including teachers, police officers and junior doctors are also to get pay rises, between 5% and 7%.

The highest rise is seen for police and prison officers who will receive a 7% pay rise, while teachers and junior doctors will get a 6.5% and 6% rise respectively.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "Our Armed Forces work continuously to protect the nation, tackle threats and support our allies, including Ukraine.

"This latest pay award represents an increase of up to 9.7% for our most junior ranks and 5.5% for our most senior, and with an included non-contributory defined benefit pension scheme it builds upon our comprehensive offer for our Armed Forces personnel. 

"That includes subsidised housing and education, free wrap-around childcare which saves forces families around £3,400 per child per year, and daily food charges for our personnel have also been frozen."

'Responsible'

In June, Mr Sunak stressed that his decision on Armed Forces pay will be "responsible" and may not be popular in the short term.

At the time the Prime Minister told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: "I have to make difficult decisions as Prime Minister. Everyone can see the context that we're in with inflation and interest rates."

Mr Sunak went on to say: "When it comes to public sector pay I'm going to do what I think is affordable, what I think is responsible.

Reactions

The reaction to the Armed Forces pay rise announcement has been mostly negative, with currently around 54% in a Forces News poll expressing that they are not happy with the 5%.

One Twitter user highlighted this as a reason why he believes personnel are "all leaving".

He said: "Pay them the same as police, no wonder they're all leaving f***in disgrace."

Strong words came from Tony Greenman, on Facebook, who called for "more action" from Veterans' Minister Johnny Mercer.

Mr Greenman said: "Disgusting. Put their lives on the line and they get the lowest rise out of all the public sector workers and when they suffer from stress pats the government don't want to know about them. Johnny Mercer more action needed to help them."

Facebook user, Chris King, highlighted the fact that Armed Forces personnel are banned from striking.

He said: "Shock horror! Smallest increase on the one that can't strike, that also steps in for the rest when they do strike! Shocking!!!!"

Some members of the Armed Forces, however, said they were satisfied with the increase, while others pointed out that it was more than they were expecting.

The complete recommendations of the Armed Forces' Pay Review Body for Pay Round 2023 are as follows:

• A headline consolidated increase in base pay for all members of their remit group (including medical and dental officers) of 5% plus a further consolidated increase of £1,000 for all full-time UK Regular personnel with a pro-rata increase for other cohorts in their remit group.
• Officers Commissioned from the Ranks (OCFR).

Agreed to MOD's proposals for OCFR pay from 1 April 2024, to include:

• Introduction of a two-year pay dwell on commissioning, mirroring that required under Pay 16 for Direct Entry officers moving from OF1 to OF2
• Reduction of the minimum pay rise on promotion from OF2 to OF3, from 5% to 2%, mirroring wider policy and reducing the standstill period required by some who promote above increment level OF3-01
• Re-establishing a more cost-effective bridge following Pay 16 changes, cut the uppermost OCFR pay increment (increment 15), and introducing five new OCFR pay increments below increment 1, creating a new 19-increment OCFR pay spine.

Cyber:

• Agreed to the introduction of competence-based cyber payments from 1 April 2023 at the following levels: Level 2 £6,000; Level 3 £15,000 and Level 4 £25,000.

Recruitment and Retention Payments (RRP):

• Agreed with MOD's proposals to increase Levels 1 to 3 of RRP (Hydrographic) to £4.04, £6.60 and £7.63 respectively (Levels 4 to 6 are unchanged) and to bring forward the next review of the RRP.
• Agreed with MOD’s proposals to increase the Initial and Enhanced rates of RRP (Mountain Leader) to £19.85 and £23.75 respectively.
• That the following rates of RRP should increase by 5.8% from 1 April 2023 in line with the main pay award recommendation: RRP (Flying), RRP (Flying Crew), RRP (Diving), RRP (Submarine) (including Submarine Supplement and Engineer Officers Supplement), RRP (Nuclear Propulsion), RRP (Special Forces), RRP (Special Forces Communications), RRP (Special Reconnaissance), RRP (Special Intelligence), RRP (Special Communications), RRP (Parachute) (including RRP (High Altitude Parachute), RRP (Parachute Jump Instructor), RRP (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), RRP (Weapons Engineer Submariner), RRP (Naval Service Engineer) and RRP (Nursing).

Compensatory allowances:

• All rates of compensatory allowances should increase by 5.8% with effect from 1 April 2023, in line with the main pay award recommendation.

X-Factor:

• No change to the rate of X-Factor at 14.5%.
• That the rates of X-Factor for Service Personnel of OF5 and OF6 rank, Regular personnel on Flexible Service, Full Time Reserve Service of all commitments, Part Time Volunteer Reserves and Military Provost Guard Service are unchanged.
• That the rates of X-Factor for the Royal Gibraltar Regiment Regulars should increase from 6.5% to 11.5%.
• That the rates of X-Factor for Royal Gibraltar Regiment Reserves should increase from 3.25% to 5%.

Volunteer Reserves Training Bounty:

• That the rates of the Volunteer Reserves Training Bounty should increase by 5.8% from 1 April 2023 in line with the main pay award recommendation.

Defence Medical Services – Pay for Medical and Dental officers (MODO):

• A consolidated uplift of 5% for all ranks within the MODO cadre, with a consolidated increase of £1,000 for all full-time UK Regular personnel and a pro-rata increase for other cohorts from 1 April 2023.
• Agree in principle to the introduction of a bespoke pay spine for Allied Health Professionals in the initial Unified Career Management group (degree and diploma qualified), targeted for implementation in January 2024, in conjunction with changes to terms and conditions.
• That the value of Clinical Excellence Awards should increase by 5.8% from 1 April 2023 in line with the main pay award recommendation.

Accommodation charges:

• That Service Family Accommodation (SFA) Combined Accommodation Assessment System Band A charges should increase by 4.5% (in line with the CPI Annual Rents for Housing Component at November 2022) from 1 April 2023. This recommendation would affect the rents of lower bands differently, as they are set in in descending increments of 10% of the Band A rate.
• This recommendation is not being accepted and instead SFA charges will be frozen at 2022 rates.
• That furniture charges (for all SFA types) should increase by 4.5% (in line with the CPI Annual Rents for Housing Component at November 2022) from 1 April 2023.
• This recommendation is not being accepted and instead charges will be frozen at 2022 rates.
• Single Living Accommodation (SLA) rental charges for Grade 1 should increase by 4.5% from 1 April 2023, with increases of 3% to Grade 2, 1.5% to Grade 3 and no increase to Grade 4 accommodation.
• That charges for standard garages and carports should increase by 4.5% from 1 April 2023, with no increases for sub-standard garages and substandard carports.
• This recommendation is not being accepted and instead charges will be frozen at 2022 rates.

The SSRB has recommended: that all members of the senior military should receive a 5.5% consolidated increase to base pay; that there should be no change to the current pay arrangements for Medical Officers and Dental Officers (MODOs); that two-star MODOs should continue to be paid 10% above the base pay at the top of the MODO 1-star scale, plus X-Factor; and that three-star MODOs should continue to be paid 5% above the base pay at the top of the MODO 2-star scale, plus X-Factor.

The written MOD statement added: "In the last five years, the Armed Forces have received a cumulative pay award of 14.9%.

"It is hoped that, combined with the 33% of service personnel also benefiting from incremental pay rises, the increase to starting salaries (after training) to £23,496 and the freeze on SFA and food charges, this represents a fair settlement for the Armed Forces and demonstrates how much the Government values their service and families."