Checklist for this page

Votes for Armed Forces personnel
The Defence Green Paper
Royal Tattoo at Windsor Castle
Wattisham SSAFA Forces Help Triathlon 2010
SSAFA Service Awards Launched
March For Honour
Spouses of Her Majesty's Forces get State Pension boost
Publication of the first annual report into delivery against 'The Nation's Commitment'
Post a message of thanks
Tickets for Troops
Army housing in the news
Latest news on the Forces Post Offices in NATO HQs
Passenger Terminal Information Leaflet for Brize Norton
Armed Forces Pension Scheme – Pension Benefits on Divorce
When the worst happens
New publications from the Scottish Government

Votes for Armed Forces personnel

The Army Families Federation have been working on the issue of voting for Service Personnel and their dependants for some time, especially in AFF Germany where there has been a recent campaign to get people registered. BBC Wiltshire devoted their entire breakfast show to the issue on Friday 26th Feb (20% of the Army is based in Wiltshire).  Click here to learn more

The Defence Green Paper

The Defence Green Paper, “Adaptability and Partnership: Issues for a Strategic Defence Review” (Cm 7794), was published on 3 February 2010.

The Green Paper is the first part of the process leading to a new Strategic Defence Review, which will decide the future shape and role of the Armed Forces. For more information visit the MOD website. Read the Defence Green Paper.

Tickets now available for the Royal Tattoo at Windsor Castle in May

The Royal Tattoo is a tri-Service military, musical event which features the Army, Navy and RAF. The Tattoo will take place from 2030 – 2230 hrs on Wed 12, Thu 13, Fri 14 and Sat 15 May 2010.

500 free tickets for Service personnel will be made available for the Thu 13 May performances. Applications should be made to Annette Dando on 0207 414 2364.

500 free tickets for Wed 12 May for Service personnel are also being given away by the Telegraph. Applications should be made to the Tattoo box office, 0871 230 5570, quoting ‘TELEGRAPH’ and give their name, rank, number and unit. Tickets are allocated at a maximum of 2 per person on a first come first served basis.

Once all complimentary tickets have been allocated, active Service personnel can qualify for a 20% discount on tickets for Wed 12 and Thu 13 May performances. Applications should be made to the Tattoo box office, 0871 230 5570, quoting ‘TRISERVICE’.

Further details, including the programme, news, and show information can be found at: www.windsortattoo.com  

Wattisham SSAFA Forces Help Triathlon 2010

A unique sprint triathlon, to be held entirely at Wattisham Airfield using Station facilities on 24th April 2010 at 1pm.  Click here for details. 

SSAFA Service Awards Launched

The national military charity SSAFA (Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association) Forces Help launched its annual Service Volunteer Awards on 13th January 2010.

The SSAFA Service Volunteer Awards celebrate the work of over 800 SSAFA volunteers in 59 Service committees in the UK and around the world supporting members of the British Armed Forces and their families. The volunteers are the friendly faces serving personnel and their families turn to in times of need offering low key practical help. The Service committees also raise funds that can be used to help with unexpected expenses, for example transport to see a sick relative, and support local initiatives that benefit the serving community.

Details on how to make nominations are available at Hives and welfare offices or direct from SSAFA by contacting Kasie on 020 7463 9256 or via email at kasie.l@ssafa.org.uk.  An online nomination form is now available at www.ssafa.org.uk. The deadline for nominations 28th March 2009.

March For Honour

The March For Honour is a Tri-Service unification of four teams represented by the Royal Marines Commandos, the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force. The four teams will start from four separate locations in the UK, speed marching an individually dedicated mile for every UK loss sustained in Afghanistan & Iraq. 

They will be raising money on behalf of the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal 2010 and Veterans, who have sustained physical and mental injuries, including the bereaved families of those Killed In Action. Visit the March For Honour website for full details.

Spouses of Her Majesty's Forces get State Pension boost

Spouses of members of Her Majesty’s forces on accompanied postings outside the UK could get a State Pension boost from April 2010, but they must remember to take action when the accompanied posting ends. At any one time around 15,000 members of Her Majesty’s forces serve outside the UK on accompanied postings. From 6 April 2010, the Government is offering their wives, husbands and registered civil partners a new National Insurance credit – brought in specifically to fill any gaps in their National Insurance contribution record for the time they are away. Not claiming this credit could affect their entitlement to certain benefits as well as the State Pension.

Minister for Work and Pensions Bill McKenzie says:
“In the past, many partners of members of Her Majesty’s forces, have chosen to support their husbands and wives by moving abroad and this has meant they have missed out on State Pension cash in retirement. From April 2010 this will change and the system will be fairer – now both partners will be able to build up a full basic State Pension in their own right, making it more universal and generous.”

Here are five simple points for wives, husbands and registered civil partners to remember so that they can plan ahead with confidence:

1. Are you claiming Child Benefit while abroad? If so, you will still need to apply for the new National Insurance credit as it will protect not only your future basic State Pension BUT ALSO contribution-based working-age benefits, such as Jobseeker’s Allowance.

2. Apply for the credit as soon as your accompanied posting ends, not before. From 6 April 2010, you can download the application form from www.direct.gov.uk. Once filled in remember to get it countersigned by your welfare officer.

3. You can only apply for the credits if you are married or in a registered civil partnership. If you are an unmarried ‘live-in’ partner then you won’t be eligible.

4. Do you currently choose to pay contributions while away to fill you National Insurance gaps? From April 2010 that may no longer be necessary as those eligible will be covered by the credit. Make sure you remember to stop paying – we cannot guarantee you will get a refund.

5. Even if your husband, wife or registered civil partner leaves the country you are on an accompanied posting to for a training course or an operational tour you will still get the National Insurance credit. Just don’t forget to apply!

More information will be available in April on the Directgov website. A link will be posted here when the page is available.

Publication of the first annual report into delivery against 'The Nation’s Commitment', a Command Paper launched last summer

The Service Personnel Command Paper was commissioned by the Prime Minister in November 2007 and published in July 2008. It set out over 40 commitments to improve the level of support to the Armed Forces Community in key areas like compensation, healthcare, and accommodation. It established enduring principles for the future – of special treatment where appropriate for Armed Forces personnel, for families and for veterans, and that those same groups should not be disadvantaged as a result of service. Visit the MoD website to read the report.

Post a message of thanks

With over 1600 messages already posted, check out www.wearegrateful.org.uk to add your message of thanks and support to our forces personnel.  Click on the sticky notes to read the full message. There is also an option to donate to service related charities.

Tickets For Troops

Tickets For Troops is a newly launched not for profits organisation dedicated to securing the donation of tickets to concerts, sporting events and cultural events across the country to members of HM Forces. You need to register with the site, and anyone who is currently serving, or who is a veteran who has been injured since 2001 can apply for tickets for a donation of £1.

To register you need a military email address – If you have an ArmyNet address you can apply for free tickets. For more information visit www.ticketsfortroops.org.uk.

Army housing in the news

The Public Accounts Committee Report (PACR) on Service Accommodation has highlighted the fact that almost a third of service families who took part in the NAO survey stated that they considered their houses to be in poor condition and nearly a quarter regarded their properties as poorly maintained.

AFF have a long history of trying to secure a fair deal for Army families, and housing remains perhaps the most emotive of all subjects for Army families. AFF believes that Defence Estates and Modern Housing Solutions are very aware of the myriad of issues over housing, and endeavour to work closely together to resolve long standing problems on repairs and maintenance move in/move out problems and cleanliness of SFA. However, no matter what any Government says about commitment to soldiers and their housing, the fact remains that DE is hamstrung by tightly controlled Whitehall budgets in its aim to resolve long standing problems caused by decades of under investment.

At this time when all public expenditure is under scrutiny it would be devastating to the progress made by Defence Estates in improving the provision of Army housing if their budgets where placed under any further constraints. Planning, policy and structure have all been improved over the last 12 months and it is now time for Army families to experience the benefits of this.

The PACR also highlights as an area of concern the cost of maintaining empty quarters’, stating that “the MOD should speed up its process of decision making or dispose of these.” AFF would suggest that while this would equate to short term cost savings it would lead to further issues of availability and choice in the not too distant future. SFA once released back to Annington Homes for sale in the private sector can never be recovered for use as SFA again. AFF is aware that there is massive political pressure on Defence Estates to reduce the number of empty or void SFA by a significant level but this can be achieved by intelligent allocation, repairs and better planning which would not disadvantage families’ choices in the future.

Latest news on the Forces Post Offices in NATO HQs

In June this year, the MOD took the decision to close twelve Forces Post Offices (FPOs) in NATO HQs with British elements. These were FPOS at SHAPE, Brussels, Brunssen, Ramstein, Stavanger, Karup, Naples, Rome, Milan, Lisbon, Valencia and Norfolk VA.

Since that time there has been a huge outcry from the Army Community that the impact of these closures went beyond postal issues. AFF is pleased to report that as a result these initial plans have been revised to take account of the impact that the loss of a BFPO address has on Army personnel and their families.

Most importantly, the BFPO numbers will be retained, these are vital for administrative purposes such as banking.

The Forces Post Offices will close, however they will maintain a basic receipt and dispatch facility; it will no longer be possible to send parcels back to the UK however it will still be possible to receive parcels. The Enduring Free Mail Service, which allows families and friends to send packages of up to 2kg out to named personnel on operations for free, will NOT be affected. It is envisaged that dependents will be employed to provide this receipt/dispatch facility.

Outside the basic mail provision “Over the Counter” post office services will end, so personnel and their dependants will have to use the local indigenous postal services.

These changes are scheduled to be in place by September 2010.

Passenger Terminal Information Leaflet for Brize Norton

This leaflet is for those coming to drop off or collect a passenger who is leaving or has arrived on a flight at the air terminal. The leaflet answers some of the most frequently asked questions that may arise from people visiting Royal Air Force Brize Norton. Click here to download.

Armed Forces Pension Scheme – Pension Benefits on Divorce

There has been a change in the age when Pension Benefits can be claimed by former Spouses. Click here for more information.

When the worst happens

Click here to read the full version of the article 'When the worst happens' written by Phyllis Gibson, AFF Additional Needs Specialist for the spring 2009 issue of the Journal.

New publications from the Scottish Government

NHS care for Armed Forces community in Scotland

Housing and Regeneration Circular HAR1/2009: Housing for people leaving the armed forces 

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