Q. Response from PS10 Allowances: There are various rules about the length of time you have been in a quarter and what sort of residence you are moving from/to, but there is nothing about fifty miles or any other distance for that matter. If a family is entitled to removals costs on posting then they will get DA unless there are extraordinary circumstances.

Response from AFF: We’ve all had those moves where DA has been more than the costs incurred with moving and also those where it doesn’t quite cover it. The amount of DA we receive is based on many factors such as mail redirection and transit insurance but over the period of a Service career it will generally balance out.

When are you entitled to DA?
Remember that it is the move of the Service person which provides eligibility to DA and not the move of the immediate family and in order to qualify you must fit one of the following criteria;

• If you have received a posting order to a new place of duty – if you are required to move, however small the distance, you will be entitled to DA
• If you move mid-tour for Service reasons (this includes a move due to increase in size of family which takes you up a size of SFA, promotion, or if you are asked to move by Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO)) you can claim DA; if, however, you move for compassionate, welfare or medical reasons you will have to get your Unit Welfare Officer (UWO) to help you submit a claim to PACCC and if this is successful then you will get DA
• If you are required to move SFA to an alternative accommodation while waiting for a posting order

How do you make a claim?
Claims for DA may be submitted 45 days before the expected move date. Your soldier needs to claim using the JPA on-line self-service system or Form F018 to be submitted to unit admin staff. They will then check the claim prior to its authorisation by the unit allowances checker and input it to the JPA system.

How will you be paid?
The appropriate rate of DA and Child Element may be paid in advance of, but not more than thirty days prior to, a DA qualifying move. DA payments will be made via the Service person’s salary, ie, at the end of the month, so make sure you apply before that month’s pay run has gone in or you may find that you move before you get DA!

If you have any queries on whether or not you are entitled to DA and for the current rates, speak to your RAO or UWO. If you have any issues with entitlement to DA contact AFF Housing Specialist, Cat Calder at housing@aff.org.uk.  

Answer: Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) was introduced as an acknowledgment that academic achievement and wellbeing can be effected by frequent moves. It is an expensive allowance but one that AFF supports for families who are subjected to a high level of mobility.

52% of claimants are Officers and 48% Other Ranks. Of the 52% who are Officers 30% of these are Late Entry Officers.

CEA is one of several options open to parents who are concerned about the effects of mobility on their children. Other choices are serving unaccompanied or continuing to send their children to the local schools. One solution does not fit all hence the choices available.

Last year’s review into CEA looked at many different ways of how to proceed, including increased contributions from parents. The review, however, acknowledged the work that the New Employment Model (NEM) was undertaking which is seeking to reduce mobility. If mobility is significantly reduced, those able to claim CEA will be far fewer. Until MOD can see how the NEM will work, they are reluctant to make fundamental changes to an allowance that may naturally fade away as mobility decreases.

CEA is not part of a soldier’s pay – it is an allowance like Local Overseas Allowance (LOA), Home to Duty Travel (HTD) which are in place to acknowledge that accompanied service and frequent mobility does have an effect on various aspects of a military families’ life.

AFF conducted a CEA survey last year. Over 3,500 people responded. Below is a snapshot of our results.

• 91.5% of those not currently claiming CEA, who answered the AFF CEA survey, thought it was important to retain the option of doing so.
• Another posting equals another new school. Service children can attend upwards of five different schools up to the age of sixteen, and past research has suggested that each move can put a child back educationally six months.
• Service children can move between England, Scotland, Wales, NI, SCE schools, even local schools overseas. Each area has its own system, which means adjusting to changes in curriculum, ethos and sometimes even year group.
• It is not always easy for parents to choose a school for their child, or to get their child into the school of their choice if it is popular and oversubscribed. Admissions worries and appeals are an on-going part of Service life.
• Service children are proportionally more likely to have SEN and to require extra help in school than their non-Service peers. This is often the result of 'gaps' in their learning caused by moving schools.

AFF VIEW: As long as there is accompanied service that requires families to be mobile, AFF supports the retention of CEA to mitigate the effects of mobility.

Answer: PS10: LOA involves a very complex calculation but it is an accurate means of pinning down the difference in cost of living and it is transparent.

The LOA process aims to establish a representative picture of people’s spending behaviour in the UK which can be compared with that abroad. The comparison of shopping baskets is initially done in monetary terms but then is converted to an index so that the cost overseas is expressed in terms of % more or less expensive – rather than £. To make the comparison as accurate as possible the team select a shop or type of shop that exists overseas. M&S is chosen because they have stores around the world so the team can get a direct comparison of % cost difference. In Holland H&M is used as the equivalent ‘type’ of store - good quality at representative high street price.

Yes, there are cheaper sources in the UK and cheaper sources overseas but LOA it is all about the % difference. If we used Asda prices in the UK we would have to find and use a similar hypermarket outlet in Holland. Some argue that LOA does not allow for the Buy One Get One Free (BOGOF) offers that you get in the UK, which can make shopping here cheaper. As we all know though, you cannot rely on BOGOF offers and they are generally used as a loss-leader by supermarkets to get you in and spending - they make their profit somewhere else. They are not reliable enough for an on-going comparison.

The important thing is that soldiers and their families tell us how and what they spend their money on. To establish the local pattern/cost of life, the SPVA LOA Team sends a questionnaire out in advance of their review visits overseas. This is routed through the local chain of command. Responses to that mean we can tweak the rules that underpin LOA to ensure that we have got it right. For example the NAAFI is generally more expensive than local shops. From the responses it is assumed that single soldiers spend 80% of their money in the NAAFI because it is on camp and not everyone has a car or public transport to hand. They therefore get an extra % added to their LOA. Families are assumed to shop in town because it is cheaper and has more variety.

LOA is not and has never been a perk. It contributes to the additional costs of living overseas. It has reduced for a number of reasons recently and there is no denying that the MOD has made cuts. One significant recent change has been the removal from LOA of ‘Bett Nights’. LOA used to contain the cost of three x three day long weekends away in a hotel somewhere on the continent. The evidence (questionnaires, surveys etc) was that the money was not being used for that purpose and so the decision was made to replace it with three Get You Home (overseas) journeys to the UK for those in NW. Losing nine days B&B for a family per year has removed a lot of cash out of LOA but families do get three return trips to the per annum.

A long answer but hopefully this will help families understand that there is logic and science behind LOA. Families are right to question its validity and we are here in the MOD to fight the Army’s corner.

AFF VIEW: Recent cuts to LOA has made living overseas a more expensive option. Combined with the difficulty spouses have in getting jobs overseas, some families have told us that an overseas posting is no longer a viable financial option.

We strongly urge families to complete the LOA questionnaires to give the MOD an accurate picture of the cost of living overseas.

AFF continues to represent to the chain of command the difficulties associated with living overseas and the impact it can have financially have on families.

Answer: RRA(L) seeks to contribute to the higher costs encountered during a posting to London and compensate for the reduced quality of both the living and working environment. The allowance recognises the stress of commuting, the higher cost of food and beverages in Central London, the lack of Service sporting and recreation facilities, the lack of a Service mess, and extra travelling time to and from medical and dental appointments. The MOD was required to reduce expenditure on Service allowances amounting to £250m per year, some of which will come from changes in allowance eligibility criteria and rates.
Since the change to RRA(L) was announced and implemented, the MOD has acknowledged that the savings measure has created an undesirable anomaly with London-based remuneration. To help inform the Armed Forces Pay Review Body’s (AFPRB) deliberations for the 2013 Pay Award, the Army is in the process of conducting a comprehensive review of the current RRA(L) arrangements, to determine the justification, rationale and eligibility for a future London-based allowance.Whilst your concern regarding your reduced monthly income and with the Government imposed public sector pay freeze are understood, since 2009 a minimum pay increase of 5% has applied to those promoted to Sgt – a considerable incentive towards promotion. In addition, this increase is pensionable whereas allowances are not. That said, the reduction in your monthly income is acknowledged.
During these financially challenging times, hard decisions had to be made in order to help reduce the nation’s deficit. I can assure you that the Army’s comprehensive review of RRA(L) will seek, where possible, to make recommendations to the AFPRB that will address the current anomaly with London-based remuneration.

AFF VIEW: AFF will continue to monitor this situation. We are pleased that it is being reviewed but we will expect to see a suitable resolution.

Answer:  Response from DIO: We understood that the chain of command, Families Federations, HIVE and UWOs had been provided with organisation charts with direct telephone numbers to HASC and Housing Delivery staff – therefore there should be no reason why a UWO cannot speak to the HASC or email them. It is apparent that some UWOs have not received the contact details. Thus, we will ask the Housing Colonels to circulate them again.

In addition, through improved governance arrangements at local level, regional Housing Delivery staff are building strong working relationships with the chain of command, including Welfare staff.

When talking about flexibility within MOD regulations, it should be remembered that in satisfying one family others may be disadvantaged. We seek to achieve the proper balance of approach, and each case has to be considered on its merits. The single Housing Colonels are able to challenge the regulations, where they feel that they are inappropriate. We do not believe there should be a hard and fast rule about who should deal with DIO – Service families and/or UWO – we believe it would very much depend on the particular circumstances of the case.

Questions from the floor at the 16 Bde Families Forum illustrated the challenge that we face as SFA at Colchester is currently in short supply. We highlighted the cases of four families that wished to move to a better Type B property:

• Family in SSFA who feel very isolated
• Family living in a first floor flat who have just had their first baby
• Experienced SNCO or WO with a older child who wishes to have more space
• Someone newly assigned who has just submitted their application

If there is only one suitable B Type available, who should the HASC allocate the property to? This case study illustrates the difficult challenges that the HASC faces and the important role of the new Bde Military Liaison Officers (MLOs) in informing the decision making process.

Answer:  Response from DIO: We have just updated the Military Chain of Command Charter, which was first published in 2007 and sets out the responsibilities of the chain of command and DIO. Whilst JSP 464 and the Licence to Occupy already sets out a number of responsibilities of customers and DIO, we will investigate the viability of providing a simple customer charter setting out what customers can expect from DIO, as well as what customers are required to do. We would be very interested to hear AFF’s thoughts on what they would like to see in such a charter.

AFF VIEW: AFF is encouraged that DIO is investigating the possibility of a customer charter; this would be an important document for both families and DIO and we will work closely with DIO to ensure that a charter will reflect the views and needs of families. AFF encourages any families with views on the subject to contact our Housing Specialist, Cat Calder at housing@aff.org.uk.  

Answer:  DIO: The National Audit Office report on SFA in 2009 observed on the high void rate of 20%, which cost a considerable amount to maintain and attracted vandalism, fly-tipping and petty crime on our housing estates. Accordingly, MOD set a tough target of 10% as its management margin which we have now achieved (albeit a further 3-4% is being held pending the MOD decisions on basing). In addition, increased demand for housing in some areas has created ‘hot spots’ causing families to be allocated SFA or SSFA away from their units. We are, however, taking steps to address this issue. Where we can confirm a longer term demand for housing, we are building new properties (eg in Bulford and Brize Norton) as well as seeking to bring long term voids back into use. We are also looking to increase our housing stock by purchasing new SFA. In 2011/12, we purchased a total of 128 SFA in Chilwell, Andover and Culdrose from property developers; these are now beginning to come ‘on line’. This year, we are anticipating purchasing a further 250 properties, with some 25 more planned for next year. We shall always seek opportunities to secure additional funding to ease housing shortages but much will depend on the outcome of the Future Footprint Study.

AFF VIEW: Housing in the right places with access to local services, education and jobs for spouses will continue to be high on AFF’s agenda, particularly as units are moved back from Germany. Whilst some additional housing money has been found, until this is properly funded we will continue to see shortages of SFA in the right location.

Answer:  Richard Spurrier, from the MOD, who controls the contract with Agility: There are additional issues associated with the movement of effects to and from NI such as security and the availability of space for movement across the Irish Sea (trucks and containers require significantly more space than a family car). These issues are exacerbated by the high number of short notice requests (less than 28 days) from submission of application. The drawdown of NI has created a surge in one way traffic and this too has highlighted some weaknesses in the original Statement of Requirement which are currently being addressed. The short answer is that effects will be shipped as quickly as possible but NI will always attract a slightly extended transit time. The rules on subsistence for families posted to and from NI have recently been changed to incorporate extended hotel accommodation.

AFF VIEW: AFF recognises that this lengthy process is limiting but is pleased that after intervention by AFF, subsistence is now covered for the whole of this period.

Answer: Cat Calder: Without knowing more details about this specific case I am unable to answer fully. MHS is working to achieve all their targets and if you feel that they are failing, then I would advise you to put in a complaint about the time this job has taken. To start with, ring MHS and get put through to the Complaints Department and talk to them. Ask for a named person to speak to about this and keep phoning until the work is done. If you would like to send me the details of the case please email housing@aff.org.uk and I can look into it for you.

AFF VIEW: AFF represents families at a strategic and local level. Keep bringing us your concerns so we can improve the service that you get.

Answer: Response from DIO: The transformation of allocation services which included an enhanced online application system are providing a much more efficient, transparent and consistent service. Although we did encounter some service problems during the initial transition period, the Housing Allocations Service Centre (HASC) has now reached its full operating capability, and we are now looking to work with the single Services to improve service delivery further. For example, we are developing new protocols to better handle short notice postings and second offers. The key to providing the best possible housing service is for Service personnel to apply for their SFA as soon as they receive their assignment order. As regards to any compensation claims, each case would have to be considered on its merits.

AFF VIEW: The transformation from the HICs to the HASC did not go as smoothly as planned and as a result, there were many issues which impacted heavily on families. When the HASC is fully staffed and enabled, AFF believes that the new system will be of great benefit to both families and HASC staff, but until that time we would encourage families to be patient, put in applications in a timely manner and not phone until after fifteen working days from when the application was received.

All three Services are aware of the issues that have occurred and are all helping DIO, while at the same time holding them to account in order to get the best service for families. If any family feels that they did not get the service they expected from DIO then they should submit a formal complaint. Details of the complaints process can be found on the MOD website.

Answer: Response from DIO: These are not mutually exclusive quotes. The one from Dr Fox dates from February 2011, and since then DIO has continued to plan and undertake a programme of transformation to ensure that it meets the needs of Defence, whilst delivering better value for money. DIO continues to focus its efforts on providing the best possible facilities for Service personnel within available funding. The DIO Transformation Process is already seeking to improve the service offered to families. For example, improved technology support is allowing personnel to view the SFA available at their new unit and register an informed preference, a robust governance system is allowing personnel and units to resolve housing problems much more quickly and satisfactorily whilst the new Customer Assistance Points will offer families face-to-face access to address their housing concerns with MHS and DIO. We continue to target available investment to properties in locations where we have an ongoing and enduring requirement - and to properties in the most need.

Answer: Response from DIO: This issue illustrates why we have introduced the HASC to standardise our support for allocations. Some HICs used to copy the move in/out Optitime prints to UWOs. However, the list included moves for personnel who were not in the UWO’s area of responsibility. This is contrary to the Data Protection Act (DPA), which requires DIO to protect the release of personal information. Within the next phase of the e1132 system, we are looking to develop an access for UWOs. However, I must ensure that it is fully compliant with the DPA. We have agreed to work with HQ Support Command to build up the requirement. In parallel, we are looking for UWOs to make full use of the data that is already available to them on JPA. As an interim measure, we are looking at the possibility of providing specific information to UWOs on local move-ins/outs for which they have responsibility.

AFF VIEW: AFF is pleased that DIO is working with Support Command to work out the exact requirements needed and is keen to see the UWOs and the chain of command kept in the loop for housing allocations. AFF will keep a close eye on how this progresses. In the meantime, AFF would urge any UWOs with any views on this subject to send them up through the chain of command to Support Command for inclusion in the requirements.

Answer: AFF: AFF is waiting for the publication of the New Employment Model (NEM) part of which aims to make the Army more stable, and the Future Accommodation Plan (FAP) which is looking at housing for the future. The FAP team are looking at all aspects of housing in order for the provision of it to reflect the NEM. One of these options was the withdrawal of SFA or limiting the provision of SFA to a number of years but this was very unpopular and considered unworkable by the three families federations and the single services and would be unlikely to be the approved recommendation.

There is no doubt that the Defence Estate (SFA etc) is expensive to maintain and that changes need to be made to make its long-term future viable, but that doesn’t mean the withdrawal of accommodation altogether. Until we know the final answer you should not be worried about stories you hear.

Whatever decision is finally made there will be a long run in, probably of years, in order for families to adapt to any changes.

AFF VIEW: AFF is continually making the case for Service provided accommodation, for greater investment in its upkeep and for increased availability in high-demand areas. AFF recognises the desire of families to be able to serve accompanied (as shown in our surveys) and will continue to make the case for SFA in order to allow this to happen. Updates on the NEM and FAP will be posted on the AFF website.

Answer: SP Pol: Service allowances exist to compensate, reimburse or contribute to expenses incurred by Service personnel as a result of Service life. As with medical, welfare and housing entitlements, allowances are governed by the requirement to be a serving member of the Armed Forces or a Service dependant.

Present policy exists in line with Government direction and the Final Tour of Duty provision represents the extent to which the MoD is willing to assist Service personnel in terms of moving their personal effects upon termination of Service.

Providing financial support, in the form of removals and Disturbance Allowance, which is not in line with the principle of ‘expenses incurred as a result of Service life’ would set a precedent that could be applied to any number of Service benefits. At present, I am not aware that the MoD is willing to support such a policy.

Furthermore, the financial implications of paying removal costs for every Service leaver would be significant and run contrary to the current strategic direction to save £250M on allowance spending by 2015.

AFF VIEW: First and final moves are not and have never been paid for. However, AFF would encourage all serving personnel to plan ahead for leaving and apply for the Final Tour of Duty Package ahead of their final posting - which may help them with final removals. AFF would also encourage Service personnel to always contact their Regimental Admin Office (RAO) to find out what they are entitled to claim well advance of the final day of service. Lord Ashcroft is currently tasked with looking at the transition of soldiers from the Army. AFF will be writing to him to advise him of this issue so that it is included in his investigation.

Answer: AFF: AFF does not get directly involved with individual assignment orders but we do help with issues that arise from them.

If a soldier is posted somewhere that that is unsuitable and the posting would be detrimental to the family and the children, then the soldier can put up a welfare case through his or her chain of command regarding this. They should start with their Unit Welfare Officer.

Certain ranks’ assignment order lists have been changed recently to alleviate large numbers all moving at once. This may directly affect how quickly a family is allocated a house and also how quickly a child will be found a place in a school.

If the posting is unsuitable because of an additional need, then there are Army regulations in place to safeguard the child’s best interests and to make sure that the new posting area can offer the correct care for the individual child.

If a child is in a state school and studying for a public examination then there are measures in place for the family to temporarily stay to allow the child to finish the course and exams. This includes the examination year and the year before only, not the transition from GCSEs to A Levels for example.

The reason that Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) exists is so that regular postings are not detrimental to children’s education. This means that they should be able to have a stable uninterrupted education whilst the family remains fully mobile with the soldier. There are a wide range of schools on offer to help suit individual needs and the Children’s Education Advisory Service (CEAS) is there to help the family. Email enquiries@ceas.detsa.co.uk  

AFF VIEW: AFF can advise on the particular issues that an assignment order brings via our AFF Specialists but not on the assignment itself.

Answer: The Service Pupil Premium (SPP) is owned and funded by the Department for Education (DfE); it was first announced in 2010 and is for state schools in England only. Education is a devolved matter and at present the Devolved Administrations do not feel there is a need for a Service Premium as they provide support in other ways. Schools carry out an annual census (normally in January) which records the number of known Service children in a school - some parents prefer that their children are not identified as being Service children. The schools then receive their money in September for the start of the school year. In 2011, the Service Premium was £200 per child per year, this year it is £250 per child per year.

DfE offered guidance to schools that they expected the focus of expenditure from the Premium to be on pastoral support, but they did not place a requirement on schools to account back to DfE on how the SPP was spent. From Sept 2012, whilst schools will have to indicate how they have spent their Pupil Premiums, this will not be broken down into the different types of premium (there are other non-Service premiums) and so we will still not be able to pull together a comprehensive record of how Service Pupil Premium is spent.

Instead, MOD has asked schools, through the Service Children in State Schools (SCISS) network, to provide feedback as to how it is being spent – but we can only do this on a voluntary basis as MOD don’t own the funding. We hope to use this feedback to get case studies of best practice onto the DCYP or CEAS (Children’s Education Advisory Service) website within the next few months.

AFF VIEW: AFF recognises families’ concerns. Clear and transparent evidence of how the SPP has been allocated will ensure it is spent appropriately. Schools with smaller numbers of pupils may need more advice to ensure that it used productively.

Answer: AFF: At this year’s AFF Families’ Conference several families raised the issue of support from welfare units.

With more and more families based away from the unit in their own homes, or scattered in SFA around the area, communication with families is becoming increasingly difficult.

Currently UWOs need permission from the soldiers to contact families directly. AFF has been campaigning with the other families’ federations to allow contact with families using the contact information on JPA unless the soldier has chosen to opt out. This way UWOs would be able to track where soldiers’ families are (including the wider family) and this would help with communication.

There are no plans for welfare units to work together (although they often do if they are deploying) but all UWOs attend training and there they are given guidelines on how to communicate with families.

The disparity in provision with your unit needs addressing. Please raise it with the chain of command or your local AFF Co-ordinator, details of which can be found on the AFF website.

AFF VIEW: AFF is currently asking the chain of command to produce clear guidelines for families as to what they can expect from their UWO.

Answer:  AFF: At this year’s AFF Families’ Conference several families raised the issue of support from welfare units. We are always disappointed to hear from families who have not been supported through deployment.

With more and more families based away from the unit in their own homes, or scattered in SFA around the area, communication with families is becoming increasingly difficult.

Currently UWOs need permission from the soldiers to contact families directly. AFF has been campaigning with the other families’ federations to allow contact with families using the contact information on JPA unless the soldier has chosen to opt out. This way UWOs would be able to track where soldiers’ families are (including the wider family) and this would help with communication.

There are no plans for welfare units to work together (although they often do if they are deploying) but all UWOs attend training and there they are given guidelines on how to communicate with families.

The disparity in provision with your unit needs addressing. Please raise it with the chain of command or your local AFF Co-ordinator - details can be found on the AFF website.

Answer: AFF tries to reach everyone if not through an AFF Co-ordinator then through social mediums.

AFF recently recruited a West Midlands Co-ordinator who deals with many of the Lincolnshire posts that are mainly RAF locations as an acknowledgment that Army families in these areas may feel isolated.

Please contact Jill Baines, AFF UK Director, on 01264 382322 if would you like to talk more specifically about your query.

Answer: Tranche 1: 41 appeals (of 907 selected) received of which five were successfully upheld.
Tranche 2: 115 appeals (of 2849 selected) received of which 22 were successfully upheld.

AFF VIEW: AFF believes that the appeals process was open and clear. It is explained in the Director of Manning (Army) publication Army Manning and Redundancy Update, Edition 4, June 2012. More detailed information is available from the Appeals DIN (2012 DIN01-120 Tranche 2 Appeals Process) on the Defence Intranet.

Answer: AFF: We constantly review the success of our methods of disseminating information and providing support to all members of the Army family. Until recently AFF had a TA Specialist, however, as much work and effort as was put into this role, it became apparent that this post was not the best method to make contact with a larger number of families.

Therefore, we are now starting a new process of marketing the work of AFF, and raising awareness of our contact details to more TA families nationwide. To do this we have engaged the support of the Reserves chain of command. We are working on building up a TA unit contact database, to enable us to make frequent contact with units and ask for their assistance in disseminating useful and up-to-date information to their families. We will provide marketing materials to the units, where possible, and where staffing permits, we will attend families’ days and deployment briefings to speak directly with the families. We hope that by advertising our work more widely, families will come to us directly, through our team of Co-ordinators, to raise issues. We are producing a toolkit for our staff to highlight the differences in the Terms & Conditions of Service relating to life with the TA. We cannot truly speak on behalf of TA families unless we have proven evidence of the issues they face.

As with all things, none of this will work without the support of the units and we are reliant on the serving soldier passing information on to their spouse/partner. Freedom of information laws make it exceptionally difficult to contact individuals directly; we try to overcome this by using all media available to us, so please look out for updates on www.aff.org.uk, on our AFF Facebook pages, and in the AFF Families Journal.

Answer: Army Recovery Capability Centre (ARCC): Without knowing if this injury was attributable to Service it is difficult to give a specific answer to this question. We have asked the soldier to email us privately for further details.

Details of pensions and compensation can be found at www.veterans-uk.info/pensionscompensation

AFF VIEW: AFF is currently working with the RAF Families Federation and Naval Families Federation to scope a study into families of injured Service personnel, which may investigate the issues specified above.

Answer: AFF: Unfortunately AFF can only deal with issues that affect families. We would suggest that the soldier contacts their ETS Officer.

Answer: Veterans are dealt with by the Veterans Agency which comes under the Minister of State for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans. For more information go to www.veterans-uk.info

Veterans are well represented by a number of Service charities and by the Minister of State for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans. Their wellbeing is clearly set out in the Armed Forces Covenant.

Answer: AFF does not have any expertise in this area and cannot answer questions about Terms and Conditions of Service (TACOS). We recommend that the soldier raises it with their chain of command.

Answer:  AFF is the voice of the Army family. Our mission statement states that ‘It empowers, acts as an advocate and an expert witness to promote a quality of life, which reflects the Armed Forces Covenant.’

AFF offers families the opportunities to raise concerns independently and confidentially.

There are also some opportunities to be included through SSAFA’s In-Service committees and many spouses work on bases as civil servants.

Families should feel supported through deployment by their Unit Welfare Officer (UWO). If this is not the case, please contact your local AFF Co-ordinator to discuss this matter further. Their details can be found at on the AFF website.

Answer:  There is no evidence to support the claim that personnel deployed on operational tours to avoid redundancy.

The redundancy process grades all those eligible for redundancy. Once valid applicants are selected, non-applicants are selected starting with those of lower quality/scores. The exclusion policy for Tranche 3 is under review to ensure it remains valid in the current operational climate.

It would be extremely difficult for an individual to avoid redundancy through deployment on operations for the duration of the Army Redundancy Programme.

AFF VIEW: AFF has seen this question raised on numerous occasions and sympathise greatly with those families who believed their high achieving soldier was made redundant purely because they were not deployed at the time of the decision. All we could do was advise soldiers to rigorously follow the appeal process. We have also highlighted this issue to the chain of command.