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Armed Forces: Pensions

Asked by Helen MaguireLiberal DemocratMinistry of DefenceTabled Answered 9 September 2025UIN 73892

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending armed forces pension eligibility criteria to include personnel who served for more than six years but left the service before the age of 26 and prior to 6 April 1975.

Answered by Al Carns

It is a principle of public service pensions policy, including Armed Forces Pensions, and one that has been upheld by successive Governments, that improvements to pension schemes are not made retrospectively. To concede retrospection for one group would place great pressure on other public service schemes.

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