Modernised Accommodation Offer

What is happening as part of the Modernised Accommodation Offer?

Update on the Modernised Accommodation Officer for Armed Forces personnel.

Armed Forces personnel make extraordinary sacrifices to protect our nation. Defence’s Modernised Accommodation Offer (MAO) puts fairness first and will inject £200m of further investment for accommodation.

The Modernised Accommodation Offer, formerly known as the New Accommodation Offer, was announced on 19 September 2023 and was designed collaboratively with the single Services. Lessons have been implemented from the Future Accommodation Model (FAM) pilot and research undertaken with Service personnel and families.

The MAO will improve the standard of Single Living Accommodation (SLA), and waivers of SLA charges will be extended so that more Service personnel who maintain a main home away from their duty station can benefit, no matter their age, service or relationship status.

The MAO will also provide further support for Service personnel buying a first home at a new assignment, refunding up to £1,500 of their legal expenses.

Defence is still committed to widening entitlement to those in established long term relationships and parents with non-resident children, but has listened to feedback. The rollout of the elements of the policy related to Service Family Accommodation is therefore being paused, including the move to needs-based allocation and, in the short-term, the widening of entitlement.

A new launch date for changes to family accommodation entitlements will be confirmed in due course.

What are the main changes?

The introduction of the offer will lead to the following changes:

Support for weekly commuters: Waivers of Single Living Accommodation charges will be extended so that all personnel who have a Privately Maintained Property or retained Service Family Accommodation (SFA) will receive a waiver, in accordance with current single Service rules irrespective of rank, age or marital status. Service personnel that benefit from the existing SLA waivers will continue to pay nothing.

New standards in Single Living Accommodation: A minimum standard for SLA has been agreed and the entire SLA estate has been assessed to understand where rooms are currently failing to meet this. This is now informing where investment is needed.

Increased support to buy a home: Forces Help to Buy is already a permanent part of the accommodation policy and, under the MOA, further support will be offered for Service personnel buying first home at a new assignment, refunding up to £1,500 of their legal expenses.

Improving the overseas accommodation offer: While the MAO will begin its roll out in the UK, a review is being undertaken at how to roll out as much of it as possible overseas, beginning with pilots at selected locations. Overseas accommodation policy will also be broken out from UK policy to make it easier to understand and allow it to consider the different realities of living in other countries (such as where air conditioning is more important than loft insulation).

What do you need to do

More information on the application process will follow in due course.

Contact

For more information contact: People-Accom-ASC@mod.gov.uk