The 2022 Reports from the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body (AFPRB) and Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) have been published today.

The AFPRB report (www)sets out the independent recommendations for the 2022 Armed Forces pay award and the SSRB report (www) contains recommendations on Senior Military Pay and other senior cohorts across Government.

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Pay award increases

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The Government has accepted the AFPRB and SSRB’s recommendations on military and senior military officer pay in their entirety.

This means that for 2022:

• Service Personnel up to and including 1-star (OF6) rank will receive a 3.75% pay award.
• Senior military officers of 2-star (OF7) rank and above will receive a 3.5% pay award.

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Recommendations set out in the reports

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In addition to the headline pay award, the AFPRB recommended a 1% cap on service family accommodation charge increases and a 1% cap on single living accommodation charge increase, as already directed by the Defence Secretary.

The AFPRB also recommended other rises and changes to other targeted forms of remuneration, and increases to compensatory allowances by 3.75%, for example the Experimental Diving Allowance.

Full details on the recommendations set out in both reports are contained in this briefing document.

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Timeline for the pay award

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The pay awards will be paid in August 2022 salaries and backdated to 1 April 2022. Where specified, the other recommended changes will be backdated to 1 April 2022.

The Secretary of State said:

“This award will benefit the whole of the Armed Forces and is the biggest percentage uplift in 20 years, recognising their vital contributions and the cost-of-living pressures facing households.

Pay awards this year strike a careful balance between recognising the vital importance of public sector workers, whilst delivering value for the taxpayer, not increasing the country’s debt further, and being careful not to drive even higher prices in the future. Sustained higher levels of inflation would have a far bigger impact on people’s real incomes in the long run than the proportionate and balanced pay increases recommended by the independent Pay Review Bodies now. Pay awards should be viewed in parallel with the Government’s £37 billion support package for the cost of living, which is targeted to those most in need.

In addition to this package, the MOD has frozen the daily food charge for our personnel. We are also limiting the increase in accommodation charges to 1%, ensuring the Council Tax Rebate reaches those in military accommodation, and are increasing the availability of free wrap-around Childcare from the start of the new academic year. Any service families facing hardships, of any kind, should approach their welfare officer so that further support can be discussed.

In the last five years the Armed Forces have received a cumulative pay award of 11%. This, combined with the 1% cap on accommodation charges, no rise in food charges, 33% of Service Personnel also benefiting from an incremental rise in pay and an increase in the starting salary (after training) to £21,424, demonstrates how much the Government values the Armed Forces and their families.”