STORY
Armed Forces personnel will receive a 3.6% pay rise after the Government accepted the recommendations of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body in full. John Healey, the Defence Secretary, said the award would be backdated to 1 April 2026 and funded from existing departmental budgets.
The Government said this would be the third consecutive above-inflation pay rise for service personnel, following awards of 6% in 2024 and 4.5% in 2025. Ministers said the latest settlement meant most personnel had received a cumulative pay award of 14.1% since April 2024.
Healey said the decision formed part of efforts to address recruitment, retention and morale problems in the Armed Forces. The announcement comes alongside wider defence spending commitments, with the Government saying it is moving towards defence spending of 2.6% of GDP from 2027.