UK Armed Forces personnel will receive an above-inflation pay rise of 3.6%, backdated to 1 April 2026, as part of the Government’s commitment to improve pay, retention and support for service personnel.
The increase follows pay awards of 6% in 2024 and 4.5% in 2025, meaning most personnel have received a cumulative uplift of 14.1% since July 2024. Average salaries will rise by around £1,650 to £45,710. Starting salaries for non-commissioned ranks will increase to £27,282, while junior officer starting pay will rise to £35,926.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said “Our people are the heart of our defence… As demands on defence rise, we ask more of our personnel.”
Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said “This pay award is an important part of how we recognise the valuable service our armed forces play in keeping our country safe.
The package also includes targeted payments for specialist skills, retention payments for Royal Navy submariners, and enhanced incentives for nursing specialists.
The Government says the pay rise forms part of wider action to tackle recruitment and retention challenges, alongside investment in military housing, childcare support and improved family welfare.
Full story here.
It is worth noting the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body Fifty-Fifth Report 2026 published on 9 June made the following comments in relation to pensionable pay:
9.11 We would like to have a better understanding of MOD’s rationale for which elements of pay are, or are not, pensionable. The pensions landscape has changed with the move to a career average pension scheme. It is not clear the extent to which MOD has reflected this change in its considerations on pensionable pay. This issue is becoming increasingly salient given the move to skills-based pay.
We agree with the AFPRB’s sentiment in this regard and will follow this up in our deliberations with MoD staff and officials over the coming months.
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