Loss of Flying Cat - Disability Pension??

[anotherchopride?!]

To anyone and everyone that can help...

Regrettably I have fallen foul of 'helicopter back' and it is looking extremely likely that I will shortly be permanently losing my Flying Medical Category.

I am unsure as to whether I will be declared unfit for all duties, but was wondering where I can get information from regarding any compensation/ disability pensions.

If I were to be offered a different trade to aircrew but turned it down, would I be entitled to anything?

I don't want to sound like a fully paid-up subscriber to the 'where there's blame, there's a claim' society, but:
having given some years of my life to the RN and now having my career taken away to be replaced by a lifetime of back pain (which I am 100% convinced has been caused by flying) I would imagine that some compensating factors may be in existence.

Any HELP or ADVICE gratefully received.

[PPRuNeUser0211]

IIRC you can claim for degraded employability/loss of earnings if you can prove that you would no longer be able to carry out a similar job in civilian life. There was a thread floating around very recently with regards war pension/disability etc that had some good gen on it, but I'm too disorganised to use search!

[Tiger_mate]

Seek advice (and register with) the Royal British Legion. That is what they are there for and will advise far better than some of the 'rumours' here.

Good Luck

[anotherchopride?!]

Thanks to both of you for swift and helpful responses. Will follow your respective suggested routes...

If anyone else has anything else, all gen is appreciated.

[diginagain]

'Allowance for Lowered Standard of Occupation'. If you can show that you would have expectations of a career in commercial aviation but for your injury, you should receive a payment in recompense. There are, as has been mentioned, a recent thread on this topic. I had left the Army voluntarily a couple of years before enquiring about a pension, and had a job in another industry altogether, and the ALSO payment was based on my earnings at the time. I am also entitled to free supplies of ibuprofen on a repeat prescription; thankfully I've managed to wean myself off the JD/Brufen combo.

The Doctor who carried out my assessment was well aware of the nature of some of the injuries common amongst helicopter aircrew, being based in the Culdrose area as he was. His advice that I shouldn't be reticent about making a claim seemed to go against the ingrained feelings that such injuries 'go with the job', so to speak, but I cannot thank him enough.

Good luck.

[Statty]

The following website contains details of the Veterans Agency http://www.veteransagency.mod.uk/about_us/about_us.html - they can assist in myriad ways. It may well be a case of waiting till something formal is known though a pre-emptive question may allay some fears.

In the RAF officers made Unfit Aircrew duties are given the option to retire, though they depart with an invaliding pension. Unsure whether the rules for the RN are similar - your Chief Clerk (if that is the RN Term) will be able to advise you of the system - you aren't the first and definitley won't be the last. Also when you appear for your Med Board they should have information available. Suggest contacting them prior to having the Board - forewarned is forearmed.

Best of luck