The Ministry of Defence has made the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) (Amendment) Order 2026 (SI 2026/272) under section 1(2) of the Armed Forces (Pensions and Compensation) Act 2004. Made on 4 March 2026, laid on 12 March 2026 and in force from 6 April 2026, the instrument amends the principal 2011 Order that governs benefits for injury, illness or death caused wholly or partly by service, and applies across the UK. (legislation.gov.uk)
Article 24A increases the armed forces independence payment (AFIP) to £194.60 per week from 6 April 2026. For context, the previous amending order set AFIP at £187.45 from 7 April 2025, and GOV.UK guidance confirms AFIP is paid at the same rate as the combined enhanced daily living and mobility components of Personal Independence Payment. (legislation.gov.uk)
Article 24D raises the maximum weekly amount that may be paid towards liabilities under a Motability agreement to £80.00. The previous ceiling was £77.05 under the 2025 Order; the uplift aligns this settlement limit with the wider 2026 uprating round taking effect in the week of 6 April. (legislation.gov.uk)
Schedule 3, Table 3 (mental disorders) is updated so that diagnoses for AFCS purposes may be made by a registered mental health professional (doctor, psychologist or nurse) working within a multidisciplinary mental health team overseen by a named consultant clinical lead. This replaces the narrower formulation used previously and reflects how services are delivered in practice. The principal Order already anchors mental health descriptors and assessment notes in Table 3. (legislation.gov.uk)
Schedule 3 is further amended by inserting a new descriptor in Table 8 (fractures and dislocations) so that a temporary award becomes permanent, and by substituting a new Table 10 to uprate the lump‑sum tariff amounts across levels. The principal Order sets the structure of these descriptors and tariff levels, which determine lump sums and related supplementary awards. (legislation.gov.uk)
Definitions are modernised. References to the Full‑time Reserve Service Pension Scheme 2010 and the Non Regular Permanent Staff Pension Scheme are removed and replaced with the Full‑time Reserve Service Pension Scheme 1997 (as restated in the 2010 Regulations) and the Non Regular Permanent Staff Pension Scheme 2011. Consequential updates are made where these schemes are cited, including for the additional bereavement grant and reserve‑specific modifications. (legislation.gov.uk)
Article 14 (interpretation of Part 3) is adjusted so that decisions made following reconsideration satisfy the relevant condition referenced in that article. In practice, this ensures that post‑reconsideration decisions are treated consistently when determining which tariff amounts and rules apply to a case under Part 3 of the scheme.
For claimants and caseworkers, most changes operate automatically from 6 April 2026. AFIP recipients should see the new weekly rate without re‑application, Motability settlements can reflect the £80.00 cap where applicable, and evidence for mental health claims can be provided by the wider set of professionals where the team is overseen by a consultant clinical lead. The AFIP peg to PIP rates remains the operative basis. (gov.uk)
The commencement date coincides with the standard annual uprating window used across defence‑related pensions and allowances. As context, the published War Disablement Pension rates for 2026 also take effect from the week commencing 6 April 2026. (gov.uk)
The Order is signed by Louise Sandher‑Jones, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence. She currently serves as Minister for Veterans and People, the portfolio responsible for the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme. (gov.uk)