Today, 14 January, we were pleased to host Minister for Veterans and People, Louise Sandher-Jones MP at the Society’s office in Vauxhall.
Discussions focused on the central role the Armed Forces Pension plays in sustaining operational capability by incentivising service and supporting retention, providing essential reassurance to those who serve that they and their dependants will be supported should the worst occur, offering a financial platform for a second career and establishing the conditions for a dignified retirement. The Chief Executive stressed how important it was that these critical aspects must endure for the long term.
We also took the opportunity to raise and seek the Minister’s engagement on the challenges ahead in 2026 with our top priority being the need for clarity on the AFPS 15 Remedy RSS delivery plan with an assurance that the MoD will provide an update later this month.
Other areas discussed – and which the Minister committed to remain engaged with – included efforts to reduce the unacceptably high number of unclaimed Armed Forces pensions (currently over 15,000), the need for fair treatment for members facing pension overpayment recovery, being prepared for the potential outcomes of the Reserve Service Employment Tribunal (the Milroy Case) – the outcome of the appeal ruling is due in February, and the need – from our perspective – to prevent a repeat of the pre-Budget pension tax speculation which undermined the trust and confidence of the serving and veteran community during 2024 and 2025.
FPS Chief Executive and Minister for Veterans & People Louise Sandher-Jones MP
We also used the meeting to highlight the Society’s crucial role in providing Armed Forces Pension related support and guidance to our 65,000+ members and our efforts to raise awareness of the benefits and complexities of the Armed Forces Pension Schemes across the entire Armed Forces community so serving military people can make fully informed choices.
We will provide further updates on the challenges ahead in 2026 – this was an excellent opportunity to register them with the Minister responsible at the start of the year and we look forward to advancing them over the coming months.
