The Melton Building Society pledges support for armed forces personnel

Personnel are often posted overseas for long periods at short notice which can lead to penalties on their financial products such as mortgages.

But now a move led by the Building Societies Association means those who rent out their homes during deployment can keep their existing mortgage and not have to change to a buy-to-let mortgage - saving them money and time.

Army Families Federation chief executive Sara Baade said: “Military families often have limited choice in where they’re sent to live. They go overseas because the country needs them to. It will mean a lot to those who’ve bought their own homes that our building societies are beginning to understand the challenges of service life.”