The MoD recently published the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) Annual Report and Accounts 2025–26 (year ended 31 March 2026).
The report and accounts consist of an accountability report, financial statements and annexes covering AFPS membership statistics and information for members.
On page 6, the report highlights the number of Active, Deferred, and Pensions in Payment member benefits (note these are the total number of benefits being earned/owed/paid not the total number of people – some people have/are earning more than one AFPS benefit).
For us, a notable figure, on page 70, draws attention to the number of deferred AFPS benefits due but which remain unclaimed.
This figure is one we use as our ‘measurement of effectiveness’ of the Government’s efforts to tackle the high number of unclaimed Armed Forces Pension benefits, which, despite repeated assurances that the Government is doing everything it can to reduce this figure, has risen to 17,018 from 15,113 for the year ended 31 March 2026.
We highlight this unacceptable situation and what can and should be done here:
Veterans’ Unclaimed Armed Forces Pensions Campaign
For those who wish to delve deeper into the AFPS figures you can read the full report at this link:
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