Your Service Pension

What’s it for?

All members of the Armed Forces are now automatically enrolled into the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015, unless you choose to opt out. Depending on when you served, you may also have accrued benefits in one of the legacy schemes. Unlike almost all other pension schemes, Service people make no contribution to their pension out of their salary - most other schemes in the private and public sector, including the Police and Firefighters, NHS and Civil Service, pay up to 8% of their annual salary (or more) into their pension.

Unlike most private sector pension schemes, the Armed Forces Pension Scheme is a Defined Benefit scheme.

This means it is not affected by the ups and downs of the stock market. The scheme is also protected by legislation and distributed from the public purse, so it it provides you with a secure pension with a guaranteed amount, enabling you to effectively plan for your future when you leave the Service.

What do I get?

You can use the online calculator to estimate your final pension. Your pension is dependent on role, rank and years served, and you can input all this in the calculator.

You can also use the calculator to see how the value of your pension could increase if you served more years in the Armed Forces. 

How do I claim?

To find out how to claim your pension visit the relevant pension scheme page. The process will also be explained to you during the resettlement process. You need to give Defence Business Services at least 6 months notice before you intend to claim your pension.