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If you are new to the Royal Air Force family and are moving into SFA in England, Scotland or Wales for the first time, or if you are moving on posting to a new area, you can talk to an expert who will be able to guide you through the process of applying for your SFA. The Defence Estates (DE) Housing Information Centres (HICs) are a ‘one stop shop’ for your SFA enquiries, such as what type of accommodation you are entitled to, what properties are available in the area you are moving to and the process and time lines you have to follow to apply for an SFA.
The HICs can be contacted on a central freephone number – 0800 169 6322 – or you can find out more about the regional HIC offices on the Defence Estates Website. Please note that you can also contact the HICs by calling +44 (0)1904 418000, from overseas or 94 510 8000 on the military network.
The application form to be completed for a SFA is the MOD Form 1132. There is a revised version out (30 Nov 09) and it is this one that is the only one that will be accepted by the HICs after 1 Sep 09. A copy of the form is here.
The HIC staff can also help if you or your family members have any additional needs or disability requirements which may require alterations to be made to your SFA. They can liaise with the appropriate welfare agencies to ensure that, wherever possible, you get a home which meets the needs of your family.
You must remember though to include all relevant information, with supporting written medical evidence, on your application for SFA. You can find out more in DE Guide to Living in Service Families Accommodation, an excellent source of information which can be found . Defence Estates have also provided us with list of those to contact (correct as at Sep 09) if you wish to speak to someone on the subject of Additional Needs provision.
For more information about the support available to you if a member of your family has a disability or additional needs, please see our Family Support and Education webpages.
HIC staff will also deal with requests for the retention of your SFA eg if your children are at a critical stage in their education and you don’t want them to move schools at the time that you are due to be posted – more information can be found on the DE Website.
To access all of the formal information about your entitlement, and the application process, on the Defence Estates Service Family Accommodation website pages.
If you are moving to an overseas posting, further information can be found on the MOD website here.
If you are moving to a unit in Northern Ireland, further information can be found on the MOD website here.
As a Service person living in SFA, have you ever had to take leave to wait at home for a contractor? If so, please answer 'yes' and click on the brown ‘Have your Say’ block and let us know how much leave you have lost this way in the last 12 months.