Pension advice?

[Fintastic]

Before I write a letter to the RAF's Pensions Agency, can anyone explain to me why you lose your RAF pension if you join another air force after your IPP? Has anyone ever challenged this through the courts and if so what was the result?

Just wondering.....:confused:

[back end o' the bus]

Not quite sure what you base that on, due to the fact I was past my IPP and received 42K and am currently joining another flying club.
Best advice is to ring the JPAC muppet to log your call, ( and here's the best bit -you cant speak to the pension dept direct....you're not allowed cus the computer says..NOOO!!,:=) so get someone that can actually string an English sentence together to call you back , this will give the quickest reply.
Be aware that there original written estimate was about 4k short of the amount paid, so its worth questioning it! guess thats the price we pay for 22 yrs hard graft and being supported by Pi@@ P@@r admin.
Plus it took them nearly a month to pay anything!!
Plus if you have had a very helpful LSASP loan for a house deposit over 4 or 5 yrs, they will take it ALL out of your final salary WITHOUT EVEN TELLING YOU, apparently there was some memo sent out last year....which obviously I missed somewhere between the UK and the DEED..

But hey ho...thats life ...jump ship before the hole thing blows..is my advice!!!!! :hmm:

[Melchett01]

Fintastic -

BEOB has a point - if you can sort it on the phone do so. If you do write to the pensions people, don't expect a speedy reply. In fact don't expect any reply until you have phone JPAC twice to complain some 6 months after your original letter.

And then when you do get a reply, sit down, take a deep breath, remember that if you pay peanuts you get monkeys and prepare to draft another letter or make another call complaining that they didn't actually answer any of your questions from your original letter.

Slightly flippant maybe, but sums up my recent dealings with the pensions people. The ony time I spoke to them a couple of years back when they moved me across to the new scheme, I managed to get is sorted in 5 minutes. Phone is definitely the way ahead if you can get anyone at JPAC to give you a number or put you through.

[c130jbloke]

Why not just lie or dont tell them :E
C130jbloke

[South Bound]

Yep, you do not lose your pension. It is yours, you keep it, spend it, do whatever you like with it. Only issues are with tax, but assuming you are emigrating to join another flying club, you have your pension paid gross into your overseas account and pay tax on it in your new country. Easy peasy, honest.

[Frostcontrol]

SB is correct - I left the RAF a couple of years ago, joined an overseas air force - arranged for UK pension to be paid gross and pay tax on it in my present country of residence/service. Only thing that takes time is pushing the paperwork through both tax offices to avoid left/right hand confusion. Pension people know I am over here and have stated in writing that I will still qualify for all pension rises from age 55 onwards as per normal. Best move I ever made - alathough I still miss a decent pint!

[Winch-control]

Frostcontrol, could you pm me with the details of how you did it. I am struggling here to get it to work!