AFCS tariff table 2025 to 2026
The AFCS tariff sets the tax-free lump sum for a service injury or illness on or after 6 April 2005. The figures below rose 3.8% from April 2026, in line with the September 2025 CPI. This is compensation, not your AFPS pension; for injuries before April 2005 see the War Pension rates instead.
Key takeaways
- The AFCS tariff has 15 levels; level 1 is the most severe, level 15 the least.
- Lump sums run from £674,700 at level 1 down to £1,283 at level 15 on the April 2026 tariff.
- Levels 1 to 11 also carry a Guaranteed Income Payment (GIP) for life; levels 12 to 15 are a lump sum only.
- The fast payment for the most seriously injured serving personnel is £64,148 (the level 8 lump sum).
- The tariff is uprated each April by the previous September's CPI, the same 3.8% as armed forces pensions.
AFCS tariff: all 15 levels (April 2026)
These are the tax-free lump sums and the GIP band for each tariff level, on the April 2026 figures. An assessor sets your level from the medical evidence using nine descriptor tables.
| Level | Lump sum | GIP band |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (most severe) | £674,700 | 100% |
| 2 | £502,496 | 100% |
| 3 | £406,273 | 100% |
| 4 | £310,051 | 100% |
| 5 | £187,100 | 75% |
| 6 | £149,680 | 75% |
| 7 | £96,223 | 50% |
| 8 | £64,148 | 50% |
| 9 | £42,766 | 30% |
| 10 | £28,867 | 30% |
| 11 | £16,572 | 30% |
| 12 | £10,691 | No GIP |
| 13 | £6,415 | No GIP |
| 14 | £3,207 | No GIP |
| 15 (least severe) | £1,283 | No GIP |
To turn a level into your own figures, including the GIP, use the AFCS calculator.
The GIP band and the fast payment
The Guaranteed Income Payment is a tax-free monthly income for life, paid on top of the lump sum for the more serious levels. The band is 100% of salary on levels 1 to 4, 75% on 5 and 6, 50% on 7 and 8, and 30% on 9 to 11. An age factor then adjusts the amount, so a younger person receives a higher monthly GIP for the same level.
The most seriously injured serving personnel can apply for a fast payment of up to £64,148, the level 8 lump sum, without waiting for the full claim to finish. For how the levels and the GIP fit together, see the AFCS explained guide.
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.