This move is attributed to a significant shortfall in military personnel.
The UK's Ministry of Defence has indicated that the retirement age for servicemen and women could be increased as a measure to bolster troop numbers, according to reports by Sarbaz.kz citing The Telegraph.
Andrew Morrison, the Defence Secretary, stated that the ministry must explore the idea of raising the average retirement age for military personnel, which currently stands at 60 years old.
This proposal is prompted by a nearly one-quarter decrease in the number of individuals joining the British Armed Forces in the past year compared to the previous year. At present, the UK Ministry of Defence employs 133,570 full-time trained personnel, with plans to reduce this number to 73,000 by 2025.
Concurrently, morale within the military has dropped to an all-time low, and complaints have surged by a quarter in a year, according to the Service Complaints Ombudsman. In an effort to counteract the decline in soldiers, recruitment incentives are now being offered, including a £500 sterling bonus for each new recruit brought into the armed forces.
