Modernised Accommodation Offer

What is happening as part of the Modernised Accommodation Offer?

Support for weekly commuters

From March 2024 until March 2026, SLA waiver of charges is available to all Service personnel with dual accommodation, i.e. Service personnel living in SLA during the week with a privately-maintained property or retained SFA away from their duty station.

Personnel can benefit regardless of age, Service, or relationship status. This decision has been made to provide continuity while the MOD develops a fair and sustainable payment scheme to support Service personnel who maintain a main home away from their assigned location.

Full policy details can be found in JSP 464: Vol 3 Part 1. Service personnel benefitting from waivers listed elsewhere in this JSP will continue to receive that benefit in accordance with policy.

New standards in Single Living Accommodation

A minimum standard for SLA has been agreed, and we have been assessing the entire SLA estate 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 now a permanent part of the Defence accommodation policy. From March 2024, further support is being provided to Service personnel who are required to move accommodation on a new assignment and are buying a first home, refunding up to £1,500 of their legal expenses. Full details can be found in JSP 464: Vol 1.

Overseas Established Long-Term Relationship (LTR(E)) Pilot

The overseas pilot has been running successfully in British Forces Cyprus (BFC) since January 2024 and has now been extended until the end of March 2027. Building on this success, additional pilot sites have been established in the Falkland Islands and at BATUS (Canada). The pilot provides a wrap-around package that includes accommodation, allowances, and welfare considerations, for the duration of the assignment. This ensures that Service personnel and their families are supported when choosing to cohabit overseas.

To make overseas accommodation policy clearer and easier to navigate, it now has its own dedicated section: Volume 5 of JSP 464. This standalone volume provides a comprehensive guide to overseas accommodation, while Volume 4 continues to cover policies related to pilots trialled both in the UK and overseas.

While every effort is made to align overseas accommodation policy with the UK offer, it’s important to recognise that overseas service is unique. Each deployment varies in structure and in its relationship with partner nations, meaning a ‘one size fits all’ approach isn’t always possible.

The updated Volume 5 of JSP 464 outlines what service personnel can expect from the exciting opportunities that come with an overseas posting. Whether you’re serving or supporting a loved one, this refreshed policy ensures you have the information you need to make the most of your time abroad.

What’s Changing Later?

We remain committed to broadening entitlements for those in long-term relationships and for parents with non-resident children. However, based on feedback, the rollout of changes to Service Family Accommodation (SFA)—including the move to needs-based allocation—has been paused. A new launch date will be confirmed in due course.

What do you need to do?

There’s nothing you need to do yet—more information on the application process will be shared soon.

Need Support?

Email: People-Accom-ASC@mod.gov.uk