AFPS Preserved Benefits

by  David Scholey - Regional Manager East

With Preserved Benefits you don’t need to apply until the time your scheme/s are due to pay out.  You may be about to leave or indeed you may have left many years ago.  The solution is the same for all. Have you already left, or will you leave the armed forces since 1st April 1975 and did not receive an immediate AFPS pension? If the answer is yes, then you may be due a Preserved Armed Forces pension. The rules changed on 6 April 1975 to provide for pensions to be deferred for payment at age 60 for all those discharged over the age of 26 with a minimum of 5 years service. On 31 March 1978 the age criterion was dropped and on 6 April 1988, the qualifying period was reduced from 5 to 2 years. Since then, it’s just 2 years Reckonable Service on any of the schemes.  Now, what does ‘Reckonable Service’ mean?   Well, for Ratings in AFPS75 it means the service you did after your 18th birthday or date of entry if you were already 18 on joining. For Officers in AFPS75 it means from age 21 or date of Commission. For the AFPS05 or AFPS15 schemes it was simply from the date of entry, regardless of age or Rank.

The ages the various schemes pay out preserved/deferred pensions are:

AFPS75 age 60 for service prior to April 2006.

AFPS75 age 65 for service from April 2006.

AFPS05 age 65.

RFPS age 65.

AFPS15 State Pension Age.

To receive your preserved pension you need to apply for it at the time it is due.  Applications are by submission of AFPS Form 8 which can be found at: Claim for Payment of Preserved Pension Benefits (publishing.service.gov.uk)