The Allowances team recently introduced an uplift of 7% to Service personnel’s (SP) commuting allowances. This is part of Defence’s ongoing commitment to alleviate the increasing cost of living pressures. See the directed letter.

One of the team’s aims was to ensure that personnel receive a net 7% increase in Home to Duty (HTD) contributions to their pay. The directed letter stated that there would be no increase to Personal Contributions. This has not been possible to implement yet, due to how JPA calculates HDT. Despite this, SP will still see a net 7% increase to HTD contributions in their pay from August 2022.

The Allowances team has also expanded passenger allowance. SP may now make HTD claims for the entire route travelled when they go out of their way to collect a passenger. Historically, SP have only been able to claim for the most direct route travelled between their residence at work address (RWA) and their place of duty. In addition, previously, passengers could not claim passenger allowance if it had been claimed five or more times on their behalf in a month. This cap has been removed.

The Allowances team is aware that those who receive season tickets for travel, and pay daily personal contributions, are now paying an increased daily rate for their travel. This is being investigated. As the costs of goods and services continue to rise, Defence remains committed to providing practical and economical support. The Allowances team is working closely with the Pay Colonel Staff to address the evolving inflationary issues