3,500 members of the armed forces join legal claim over discriminatory military housing charges that could cost the MOD up to £50 million
More than 3,500 serving members of the armed forces have joined a discrimination claim against the Ministry of Defence likely to be worth up to £50 million, after younger and unmarried personnel were charged higher rents for military housing.
Posted on 18 February 2025
Up to 80,000 army, navy and RAF personnel could be eligible to join the compensation claim after allegedly being unfairly overcharged by the MOD for accommodation due to their age or marital status.
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed it is now reviewing its housing policy which currently requires all unmarried army personnel, and those who are married but under the age of 37, to pay for housing known as Single Living Accommodation. Members of the army who are married and over 37 are eligible for a valuable accommodation allowance which reduces their rent. The RAF and Royal Navy do not take age into account, but only those who are either married or in a civil partnership qualify for the accommodation allowance.
In 2021, a National Audit Office report concluded that the MOD’s housing policy may be considered discriminatory as younger and unmarried personnel had to pay more for their accommodation. Steps are being taken to address this via the MOD’s Modernised Accommodation Offer but despite this, thousands of service personnel continue to be denied access to allowances that assist with accommodation costs.
The amount of potential compensation people will get from the claim will depend on the amount of time they have spent in Single Living Accommodation and how much they paid for it. If the legal claim, led by law firm Leigh Day, is successful most claimants are expected to be paid compensation of around £15,000.
Leigh Day solicitor Ryan Bradshaw said:
“More than 3,500 members of the armed forces have now signed up to our legal claim after they were charged more for their accommodation than older or married personnel. Whilst it’s encouraging that the Ministry of Defence is reviewing its housing policy, the current system still discriminates against people who are unmarried or under a certain age. Military personnel who have been affected by this policy may wish to join our claim to seek compensation and a positive change to the current housing provision model.”
Anyone who thinks they may be eligible to join the claim can find out more here
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Ryan Bradshaw
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