Positive overseas housing scheme

July 21, 2026

The overseas long-term relationship housing pilot has brought signiﬁcant beneﬁts for service families, allowing unmarried partners to accompany service personnel on certain overseas assignments.

And the good news is that it will continue until 31 March 2027, extending it by a year.

Families have consistently highlighted the positive effect this has had on wellbeing and family life. But while the extension is welcome, areas of uncertainty remain around returning to the UK.

The policy applies in several locations including Cyprus, the Falkland Islands and Canada (BATUS).

A positive pilot

One service person described having their partner overseas as having had a “huge impact on my welfare and mental wellbeing”.

One partner said: “When we got the news about Cyprus I was apprehensive because it’s a massive move and to move the children, also with schooling. After a lot of research and briefs, now we’re all really excited to be going, it’s an adventure.”

However, despite the extension, preserved rights have not been extended for families returning to the UK after March 2026. This means there is no guaranteed entitlement to SFA on return to the UK, and accommodation will be considered in line with current UK policy and surplus SFA availability.

The MOD has acknowledged that returning to the UK from overseas can be particularly complex. The circumstances of families returning from pilot locations will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

This includes continued entitlement to return allowances, such as travel and removals, and the opportunity to be considered for surplus SFA in line with policy and availability.

Uncertainty about returning to the UK

While this provides some reassurance, many of you have expressed concern that this lacks the certainty needed for long-term planning.

One partner described feeling excited about an overseas move but worried about coming back to the UK due to the absence of a guaranteed accommodation policy, noting that this uncertainty was “the part that worries us most.”

Ongoing inequality for long-term partners

While the pilot represents progress, families continue to report a perception that marriage remains the default route to security and priority within the system.

Long-term partners report feeling disadvantaged in areas such as prioritisation on JPA, despite committed relationships of many years. This has been compounded by the lack of information to families over the last two years since the pause of the Modernised Accommodation Offer.

What families should do now

Until a permanent policy is agreed, families considering or already using the pilot are encouraged to:

Plan for UK accommodation early, even if a return date is not yet confirmed.
Complete the e1132 and ensure that you state in the comment box that you are returning to the UK from the overseas long-term relationship pilot.
Contact the policy team to seek early advice on current accommodation policy arrangements PeopleAccomPolFuture AndOvrseas@mod.gov.uk or the Accommodation Support Cell people-accom-asc@mod.gov.uk (0800 368 7406).
If moving to another overseas location, recognise that there is no automatic transfer to another pilot location and that partners and family members may have to return to the UK.

Looking ahead

The extension of the pilot reflects its success and its positive impact on family wellbeing.

The MOD has said it remains committed to widening access to family accommodation and is continuing work on longer-term solutions, initially in the UK, for families whose needs cannot be met through the existing SFA model. Updates will be shared once we have further information.

What is AFF calling for

We welcome the extension of the pilot but continue to press for improvements to give families in long-term relationships confidence to volunteer for overseas assignments without potential disadvantage. We are calling on the MOD to: