Payments to persons serving on gratuity earning terms
17.—(1) The Scheme set out in this Part shall be known as the Armed Forces Gratuity Earnings Scheme 2010.
(2) A person serving in the armed forces and eligible for the payment of a gratuity on leaving service is entitled to a lump sum payment.
(3) A person is eligible for a lump sum payment under paragraph (2) if that person—
(a)is not eligible to join the AFPS 1975 or the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2005(1) (AFPS 2005);
(b)has completed at least one year in service; and
(c)in the opinion of the Defence Council has completed that service to a satisfactory level.
(4) Any gratuity payable under this article shall be calculated in accordance with article 18(1).
(5) Subject to paragraph (6), where a person entitled to a gratuity payment under paragraph (2) continues to serve in the armed forces after the commitment period, payment of the gratuity shall be deferred until the end of any further service.
(6) Where paragraph (5) applies, a person may forgo the lump sum payable under paragraph (2) and opt instead to transfer any qualifying and reckonable service during the commitment period into the AFPS 2005 or any scheme set out in regulations under the Reserve Forces Act 1996(2).
(7) The option to transfer service under paragraph (6) must be exercised before the commitment period ends.
(8) Where a person in receipt of a gratuity rejoins service, in respect of which a pension is payable within 5 years of the commitment period coming to an end, the gratuity may be converted into pension under paragraph (6), if it is repaid within 12 months of rejoining.