Yet another pension question

[mustafa nufa]

Anybody got any idea how long you have to serve in rank (acting or substantive) to qualify for the Wg Cdr pension?

PVR primed and ready to go, but don't want to shoot myself in the foot and lose out on one of the biggest benefits of getting promoted.

Any gouge gratefully received. Ta.

M.

[Mystic Greg]

Two years substantive or three years acting (for any commissioned rank).

[L J R]

Do you have a reference for that Greg?. Not doubting you, but I have heard differently (without substantiation mind you).

[Safeware]

Anybody got any idea how long you have to serve in rank (acting or substantive) to qualify for the Wg Cdr pensionIMHO, Anybody who has to ask that question doesn't deserve to be promoted at all, let alone to Wg Cdr. :ugh: :ugh:
sw

[Mystic Greg]

L J R

I posted from memory, having enquired some time ago. But I have an undated purple 'glossy' at home called 'AFPS - Your Pension Scheme Explained' which confirms what I thought. I think it was issued within the last 5 years, but before last year's changes, and relates to the 'old' pension scheme: I kept it because I stayed on the old scheme.

It is not as authoritative a reference as a current, dated regulation but I think it is still right. Hope that helps.

Greg

[Autorev]

IMHO, Anybody who has to ask that question doesn't deserve to be promoted at all, let alone to Wg Cdr
Safeware,
You describe yourself as someone 'on the outside looking in'.
In that case you have no idea of the current state of confusion and the lack of acurate information that is easily available to serving members of HM Forces, following the intriduction of JPA - There are a couple of threads on the subject if you are interested....
One may think that a simple call to PSF would answer such a question, however they no longer exsist. Your options are to trawl endless links on badly designed intranet site - that often contain broken links, or speak to HR Admin staff that will inevitably refer you to JPAC who will refer you to your HR Admin staff, who.....
I think someone who makes efficient use of the resources avaialable to him (PPRUNE!) to gather info is exactly the sort of chap we should be promoting!!!:ok:

[120class]

To qualify for a full pension one needs to serve either 2 yrs substantive or 3 yrs acting. However as long as you serve at least 1 yr in your new rank then you'll receive a factored difference between your previous rank and the rank you now hold.

If you are acting then for each yr served in that rank you'll receive 1/3 of the difference (ie full pension after 3 yrs) and if you are substantive then 1/2 of the difference (ie full pension after just 2 yrs).

The HR staffs hold the AP leaflet that refers to this (sorry can't remember the number)

Cheers

[Safeware]

Autorev,

I don't dispute the mess that is JPA, but, in the simplest of terms, someone who puts up 'Yet another Pension question' indicates that they have nb'd the fact that there were previous threads on pension questions and didn't bother looking at them.

But before even coming here, I'm sure Mustafa hasn't lost the number of his Desk Officer.

Yes, PPRuNE is a good way of getting answers to questions, but it shouldn't be an answer to laziness, esp when that laziness is over use of the PPRuNE Search function.

sw

[mustafa nufa]

Eveyone except Safeware....

Thank you very much. Unfortunately, Safeware is exactly the sort of person we DO promote, hence the state we find ourselves in today. Perhaps he is in charge of JPA?!

Autorev:

You saved me a lot of effort explaining why I posed the Q.

I have tried PSF, PMA, JPAC etc, and may has well have spoken to my kitchen table. Perhaps unfortunately, PPRUNE is undoubtedly the place to get the real gouge.

Thanks again.

[Max Contingency]

Safeware - That is very poor advice!

NEVER have a conversation with your desk officer that includes the word PVR. Your desk officer writes up all interviews and conversations that you have and places them on the left hand side of your file. That file is available to the President of a promotion board. The file is also seen by subsequent desk officers. These desk officers decide your postings (employability?) which has a direct bearing on your promotability.

[Safeware]

Max,

Who said anything about mentioning PVR? Asking about how your promotion affects your pension is a fair question to ask when there is such a significant change.

sw

[Wannabe1974]

Safeware,
You describe yourself as someone 'on the outside looking in'.
In that case you have no idea of the current state of confusion and the lack of acurate information that is easily available to serving members of HM Forces, following the intriduction of JPA - There are a couple of threads on the subject if you are interested....
One may think that a simple call to PSF would answer such a question, however they no longer exsist. Your options are to trawl endless links on badly designed intranet site - that often contain broken links, or speak to HR Admin staff that will inevitably refer you to JPAC who will refer you to your HR Admin staff, who.....
I think someone who makes efficient use of the resources avaialable to him (PPRUNE!) to gather info is exactly the sort of chap we should be promoting!!!:ok:

Pah! I'm on the inside looking out! Its easy to blame JPA for everything it seems, including utter laziness!;)
I have to say that any Officer, ergo a leader of men and women, should know exactly where to look to find out information on pensions or a multitude of other subjects (or at least know where to start). Especially someone of OF4 rank!!
There is a wealth of information available both on old-fashioned paper (remember that?) and on t'internet if you must rely on it for absolutely everything. The question is fully answered on p6 of the "Your Pension Scheme Explained" booklet which was sent to EVERY member of the Armed Forces last year. If you've lost yours its available at:

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications
/PersonnelPublications/Pensions/AFPS75
/Afps75YourPensionSchemeExplained.htm

The answer is (for those on AFPS75): Your "final rank" is the highest substantive (permanent) rank held for more than 2 years or the highest paid acting rank held for 3 years (for officers).

End of thread I should have thought.

[Ginseng]

Correct you may be, but to be fair (if a little pedantic), Mustafa didn't ask what the definition of "final rank" is.

Anyway, he has had his answer, and it is correct.

Good to see the promotion system is managing to identify those with the motivatiion to stay!:rolleyes:

Regards

Ginseng

[Wannabe1974]

Correct you may be, but to be fair (if a little pedantic), Mustafa didn't ask what the definition of "final rank" is.

Anyway, he has had his answer, and it is correct.

Good to see the promotion system is managing to identify those with the motivatiion to stay!:rolleyes:

Regards

Ginseng

:ouch: I'm hurt...

Well, true. But it was what he meant.

:rolleyes:

[bongof4]

Mustafa
Just been there myself this year. When requesting your PVR release date do not forget that your pension increases on 1 Apr and on your seniority date: Glasgow can do a few projections on leaving dates if you ask nicely. It can be sensible to delay your termination date by a couple of months to sweep these up.

[TMJ]

Actually there is one bloody good source of gen available to all and sundry, the RAF Publications Library on t'intranet. It contains up to date copies of most of the scribbly APs. Granted as an EngO I probaly have more occasion to dig them up than most aircrew mates, as with a large flt I often have people with issues that make me want to see what the book says, but it's well worth knowing about for everyone. If you don't know where it is, on your Stn intranet home page, click "Royal Air Force" in the top right-hand corner, select "Publications" from the drop down menu and then "RAF" from the second menu. In this case you're after AP3392 Vol 2 Lflt 2002.

Rank for Retired Pay Purposes
13. The rank used for the calculation of Retired Pay will normally be the substantive rank held by the officer on his date of retirement provided that, unless he is invalided, the rank has been held on the Active List for the following minimum periods:
a. Air Chief Marshal - 1 year.
b. Air Marshal and below - 2 years.
If the substantive rank has been held for less that the specified period (for retired pay purposes Flt Lt (Specialist Aircrew) is considered a separate substantive rank), his Retired Pay will be based on the highest substantive rank which satisfies the condition, any periods served in a higher substantive rank being included in the calculation of the specified period.
Additions to Retired Pay
14. An officer whose rank for Retired Pay purposes is lower that his substantive rank on retirement will be awarded an addition to his Retired Pay for service in the higher substantive rank in accordance with QR 2933 (http://www.publications.raf.r.mil.uk/live/qrs/ch38.htm#2933)(1). The addition will be based on the difference between the Retired Pay for the rank awarded under para 13 above and the next higher rank on the basis that one year's service will qualify for one half of the difference between the 2 rates. Parts of a year in excess of one year will be counted proportionately.
15. If an officer has held paid acting or a temporary rank higher than his rank for Retired Pay purposes as defined in para 14 above, and such rank has been held for at least one year, he may be awarded an addition to the Retired Pay to which he is otherwise eligible, calculated as follows:
For each period (subject to a minimum of one year and a maximum of 3 years) for which the paid acting or temporary rank was held, an addition of one third of the difference between the Retired Pay for which the officer is otherwise eligible and the Retired Pay for which he would have been eligible had his rank for Retired Pay purposes been one rank higher. Such addition will be assessed on completed years and days.
The Defence Council may fix a date after which periods in paid acting and temporary rank may no longer count for additions to Retired Pay.