AFPS Form 8: claim your preserved pension
AFPS Form 8 is the claim form for payment of preserved armed forces pension benefits. Preserved pensions are not paid automatically: if you left before the immediate pension point, you must claim yours with Form 8 when you reach your preserved pension age.
Key takeaways
- Form 8 claims payment of a preserved (deferred) armed forces pension.
- Preserved pensions are never paid automatically; you must claim.
- The same form has a tick-box route for early payment due to ill health.
- Send it to Veterans UK by post; claim well before your pension age.
What Form 8 is for
If you left the armed forces before qualifying for an immediate pension, your benefits were preserved. They are normally paid from your preserved pension benefit age (60 or 65 depending on scheme and service dates), but Veterans UK will not start paying them on its own. You claim them by completing AFPS Form 8 and returning it by post.
Do not confuse Form 8 with the death benefit nomination form (that is Form 2) or the forecast request forms (Form 12 while serving, Form 14 after leaving). Form 8 is purely the claim for payment.
When and how to claim
Send Form 8 in good time before you reach your preserved pension age, so payment can start on time. The form is on gov.uk under Veterans UK armed forces pension forms, and goes back to Veterans UK by post.
If you are seriously ill, the same form includes an option to claim your preserved benefits early on ill-health grounds (Early Payment of Preserved Pension benefits). Tick the ill-health box and include the supporting annex.
Not sure what your preserved pension is worth? Request a forecast first with Form 14, or get an instant estimate with our preserved pension calculator.
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Frequently asked questions
James Hartley
James Hartley spent 22 years in the British Army, including unit personnel administration and pensions and records duties, and now writes the scheme guides and scenario pages on this site. He is not a regulated financial adviser, so the content is general information rather than personal advice.
Sources: gov.uk · GAD factors · Veterans UK · Forces Pension Society · MoneyHelper.