Armed Forces Pension Calculator
Free UK estimate for AFPS 75, 05 and 15 — work out your pension, tax-free lump sum and Early Departure Payment in seconds.
- Covers AFPS 75, 05 & 15
- Free, no sign-up
- 2026 rates built in
- Pension, lump sum & EDP
Your details
Scheme, pay & service
Your estimate
Pension, lump sum & EDP
EDP 05 (left before 65)
How this is worked out
AFPS 05 accrues 1/70th of final pensionable pay per year, up to a maximum of 57%. Figures use published AFPS rates. See our methodology. Estimate only, not financial advice.
Estimate only, not financial advice. Figures use published AFPS rates and standard assumptions; your actual pension depends on your service record. For an official forecast, contact Veterans UK. See our full disclaimer.
Key takeaways
- Your scheme depends on when you joined: AFPS 75 (pre-2005) and AFPS 05 (2005 to 2015) are final-salary; AFPS 15 (2015+) is career-average (CARE).
- AFPS 75 builds to 48.5% of pay and AFPS 05 to 57%; AFPS 15 banks 1/47th of your pay each year, revalued for inflation.
- AFPS 75 and 05 pay an automatic tax-free lump sum of 3× your pension; AFPS 15 has none, so you commute pension for cash at £12 per £1 (up to 25%).
- Leave from age 40 with enough service and you may get an Early Departure Payment (EDP), a tax-free lump sum plus monthly income until your pension age.
- You need 2 years' qualifying service to earn a pension, and pensions in payment rise 3.8% from April 2026 (CPI).
The armed forces pension is a workplace pension for UK service personnel, run across three schemes. AFPS 75 and AFPS 05 are final-salary schemes that base your pension on your pay when you leave, and pay an automatic tax-free lump sum of three times your annual pension.
AFPS 15 is a CARE scheme: it builds 1/47th of your pensionable pay each year, revalued for inflation. It has no automatic lump sum, so you create one by commuting part of your pension for cash at a fixed £12 per £1 given up, up to 25%.
Leave before your normal pension age with enough service and you may also get an Early Departure Payment (EDP), a tax-free lump sum plus a monthly income until your pension comes into payment.
Your scheme is set by when you joined: before 6 April 2005 you started in AFPS 75, between then and 31 March 2015 in AFPS 05, and from 1 April 2015 in AFPS 15. From 1 April 2022 everyone still serving builds their pension in AFPS 15, and the McCloud remedy lets you choose legacy or AFPS 15 benefits for service between 2015 and 2022.
You need two years of qualifying service to earn a pension, and pensions in payment rise each April with the Consumer Prices Index, by 3.8% from April 2026. This calculator applies the current rates and the latest increase, so your estimate reflects today's figures across AFPS 75, 05 and 15.
What this calculator covers
Which armed forces pension scheme are you in?
It's set by when you joined: before 6 April 2005 → AFPS 75 · 6 Apr 2005 to 31 Mar 2015 → AFPS 05 · 1 April 2015 onward → AFPS 15.
AFPS 75
Joined before 2005
| Type | Final salary |
| Builds to | 48.5% of final pay |
| Lump sum | Automatic 3× |
AFPS 05
Joined 2005 to 2015
| Type | Final salary, 1/70th |
| Builds to | 57% of final pay |
| Lump sum | Automatic 3× |
AFPS 15
Joined 2015 onward
| Type | CARE, 1/47th a year |
| Based on | Current pensionable pay |
| Lump sum | Commute for cash |
McCloud remedy period
Served between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2022?
You were moved to AFPS 15 during this remedy period, but the McCloud judgment lets you take your legacy scheme (75 or 05) or AFPS 15 for those years. Compare your McCloud options →
Armed forces pension rates at a glance
The headline numbers behind each scheme, every one applied by the calculator above.
| Key fact | AFPS 75 | AFPS 05 | AFPS 15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scheme type | Final salary | Final salary | CARE (career average) |
| Build-up rate | Up to 48.5% of final pay | 1/70th of final pay a year | 1/47th of pay a year |
| Maximum pension | 48.5% (34 to 37 years) | 57% of pay (40 years) | No cap, grows with service |
| Tax-free lump sum | Automatic 3× pension | Automatic 3× pension | None, commute at 12:1 |
| Commute for cash | N/A | N/A | Up to 25% (£12 per £1) |
| Normal pension age | 60 | 65 | 60 (deferred at SPA) |
Every scheme needs 2 years' qualifying service for a pension, and pensions in payment rise with the annual CPI increase, 3.8% from April 2026.
How much could you get?
Your pension rises with every year of service, and your final pensionable pay sets the base. An officer's pay scale and the scheme you're in change the numbers too.
These examples assume a £45,000 final salary on AFPS 05. Enter your own scheme, pay and service in the calculator to see a breakdown that fits your record.
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