The UK armed forces are set to receive another above-inflation pay rise, the third since Labour came to power, as morale improves following years of decline under the previous Conservative government. The Sunday Mirror reports that the pay boost is expected to be announced in the coming days, coinciding with new data from the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey showing a turnaround in satisfaction levels.
A Government source said: 'Our armed forces are the very best of Britain. They’re being called upon more often as the world gets more dangerous and unstable, so it’s only right they get a pay rise that reflects that.' A Labour source added: 'The Tories cut real-terms pay for our troops, we’re upping it.'
The survey found that 45% of personnel are satisfied with service life in general, up 3% from last year. Satisfaction with basic pay, which fell sharply between 2021 and 2023 under the Tories, has increased to 37%. Under the last Labour government in 2010, satisfaction with service pay peaked at 52%. The incoming pay rise will be the third since Labour took office, with the first being the biggest in twenty years.
Progress has also been made on military housing, with satisfaction with maintenance requests rising from a low of 19% under the Tories to 39% following a major defence housing programme. Defence Secretary John Healey has pledged to bring 36,000 military homes back into public ownership and upgrade 90% of military family homes, with over 1,200 of the worst homes already upgraded.
Commenting on the survey, Healey said: 'Since day one, our Labour government has been on a mission to lift military morale, reversing a long-term Tory decline by improving the lives of our brave armed forces personnel and their families.' He added: 'Labour is turning that around, with our record increase in defence investment enabling better pay, better conditions and better housing.'
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson confirmed that the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body has submitted its report, with the pay award details to be confirmed shortly and backdated to 1 April 2026.
