One in three service personnel living in lowest grade service accommodation, Labour reveals

One in three members of the Armed Forces are living in the lowest grade of service accommodation, Ministry of Defence data revealed by Labour has shown.

According to the data, more than 25,000 service personnel live in Grade 4 Single Living Accommodation – the lowest rating given by the MOD.

It also revealed that 1,378 personnel live in accommodation that is considered to be of such a low standard that no rental charge is levied.

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The figures were obtained by shadow armed forces minister Luke Pollard, who called on the Government to "sort out the dire state of defence housing".

Single Living Accommodation (SLA) is awarded a grade by the MOD based on its quality across 14 categories, which include the condition of bedroom decoration, fixtures, fittings, adequacy of heating systems, and the proximity of toilet and washing facilities.

The Labour Party said: "There is currently no minimum quality standard set for Single Living Accommodation and no minimum acceptable conditions that service personnel should expect.

"A 2021 National Audit Office report on Single Living Accommodation exposed 'decades of underinvestment' and 'problems with heating and hot water'.

"The 2023 Armed Forces Continuous Attitude survey revealed that 42% of tri-service personnel live in Single Living Accommodation during the working week.

"Poor quality defence housing is having a direct impact on the crisis in military morale.

"The same survey shows 46% of tri-service personnel were dissatisfied with the overall standard of their accommodation. A majority of 54% said they were dissatisfied with the responses to maintenance request and repairs."

Last month, the managing director of VIVO, Jerry Moloney, told a defence committee hearing into the state of service accommodation that the condition of the defence estate was in a "far worse state than we ever anticipated".

Also in November, it emerged that a law firm was seeking compensation of up to £10,000 for Armed Forces personnel who it claims may have been overcharged for accommodation because of their age or marital status.

Shadow armed forces minister Mr Pollard added: "The Conservatives are failing in their duty to our service personnel, who are forced to live in homes with broken boilers, black mould, leaky roofs and endless waits for repairs.

"The standard of service accommodation has been consistently low and getting worse under this Government, but despite the rhetoric, nothing's changed.

"Ministers must do right by personnel and sort out the dire state of defence housing.

"In government, Labour will legislate to establish an Armed Forces Commissioner to act as a strong, independent voice for service personnel and their families and make service accommodation a priority, so that those who serve and their families live in homes fit for heroes."

An MOD spokesperson said: "The Defence Secretary has made the provision of higher quality accommodation for service personnel a personal priority, reflecting the selfless dedication our Armed Forces provide for the nation.  

"That's why we are introducing minimum standards to ensure all service personnel have access to good quality accommodation, and additionally ensuring issues are rightly addressed much more quickly.

"Over the next decade, we are committed to spending more than £4bn to make improvements to existing accommodation and build new living quarters for our service personnel."