Immediate Benefits – Qualification Criteria

Since 1 April 2022, all Service Personnel have been members of AFPS 15. Under the rules of the ’15 Scheme, a service person requires to complete a minimum of 20 years of service and be aged at least 40 years old (both criteria must be met) to qualify for an Early Departure Payment (EDP) on exit from the Armed Forces.  The EDP comprises a tax-free lump sum equivalent to 2.25 times the deferred ’15 scheme pension, and an annual income equal to at least 34% of the deferred pension and is paid immediately on discharge from the Armed Forces.