This enables soldiers and their families to move into their new house on posting. If moving between Theatres (eg UK to Germany) the leave allowance is 10 working days, if moving within the same country it is 5 working days.

This allows personnel unpaid leave to look after their child’s welfare by, for example: settling a child into new childcare arrangements, looking at new schools, or accompanying a child during a stay in hospital. It allows 18 weeks’ leave for each parent of each child and adopted child, up to the age of 18.

Servicewomen are not entitled under law to Statutory Maternity Leave, but provision for maternity leave equating to the statutory arrangements is made by the Armed Forces Occupational Maternity Scheme (AFOMS). Servicewomen are entitled to take up to 52 weeks maternity leave and subject to meeting the qualifying criteria may be eligible for 39 weeks of Statutory pay, the first 26 of which may be enhanced to the Servicewoman’s full pay rate.

Armed Forces Occupational Paternity Leave Scheme. Paternity Leave is given to recognise the birth or the adoption of a child (where the Serviceperson is not taking Adoption Leave) and enable the Serviceperson to care for the child or support the child’s mother or adopter. This can be up to 2 weeks’ duration within the first 56 days of birth or adoption. Personnel who meet the eligibility criteria for Paternity Leave will be paid full pay for the period of leave taken.

This recognises the stresses placed on Personnel and their families during an operational deployment. The allowance, which is in addition to Annual Leave, is one day of Post Operational Leave for every 9 calendar days deployed.

While personnel are not entitled to the statutory provision of time off for dependants, Commanding Officers are able to use a combination of existing leave provisions to allow time off.