UK military families to get say over home repairs
A pilot will give service families a role in signing off repairs, and a Red Tape Challenge will ask them to identify outdated rules, the Ministry of Defence said.
Military families are to be given a role in signing off repairs to their homes under reforms announced by the defence secretary.
The pilot is designed to help ensure issues are “fully resolved and work is completed to the expected standard” before jobs are closed, the Ministry of Defence said.
Wes Streeting also announced a Red Tape Challenge, which will invite service families to identify and remove outdated housing rules.
A new Customer Committee will give families a direct voice in decision-making at a national level, while Regional Experience Committees will bring together residents from across the country to identify local issues, the ministry said.
The measures form part of the government’s £9.2bn Defence Housing Strategy, which will deliver better homes, improved service standards and a stronger focus on the needs of service personnel and their families.
They follow earlier changes that ended restrictions on keeping pets and gave families more freedom to decorate their homes.
Streeting said service families “should not feel that decisions about their homes are being made without them”.
The reforms were about giving families “more power and control”, with “a clear route to challenge things that aren’t working”, the defence secretary said.
A new code of conduct will ensure families receive “a more consistent and respectful service” from everyone representing defence housing, including contractors, the ministry said.
Tricia Jakeman, the defence families champion, said giving service families a stronger voice was “essential if we are to deliver the quality of housing and services they deserve”.
“Behind every military home is a family whose support is essential to operational life,” Jakeman said, adding that the changes seen “over the past year” showed what could be achieved “when families are listened to”, and that this was an important step in “ensuring their voices continue to drive positive change”.
The Defence Housing Strategy, launched in November, set out the Ministry of Defence’s plans to reform military housing “over the next decade”, and will be delivered through a new Defence Housing Service, due to be formally established in April 2027.
