Pensions: Aggregation of AFPS 75 and 2005 for an EDP

[K-C]

Is anyone else out there affected by the RAF IBN 29/13 which lays out the policy for those people who have had a break in service and have subsequently rejoined the RAF? Alarmingly those of us who served under AFPS 75 who left with a preserved pension who then rejoined after 06 April 05 will not be allowed to aggregate periods of service to qualify for an AFPS 05 Early Departure Payment.

This is not what was sold to me on rejoining.

[TomJoad]

Is anyone else out there affected by the RAF IBN 29/13 which lays out the policy for those people who have had a break in service and have subsequently rejoined the RAF? Alarmingly those of us who served under AFPS 75 who left with a preserved pension who then rejoined after 06 April 05 will not be allowed to aggregate periods of service to qualify for an AFPS 05 Early Departure Payment.

This is not what was sold to me on rejoining.


If it wasn't what was sold to you when you rejoined and, importantly, you have it on paper then contest it. I was successful in contesting an issue at the time regarding eligibility for a burssary payment but only because I was able to make reference to recruitment publications. Good luck.

[Al R]

K-C

You might have a letter from a middle ranking non specialist outlining the retirement package terms of your re-engagement which have been subsequently changed? You're not alone with this, I know of someone else in a similar situation who may be further down the line with their grievance. PM me and I'll see if they are willing to chat it through with you.

In fact, are you that person I wonder?!

[Voxpop]

Anyone in this position should submit a Service Complaint. I am told that the top brass think that very few people are affected by this.

[MG]

Certainly the army have recognised this and are taking names to see how many people are affected. Importantly, the missive to P staffs emphasises that they aren't to promise that things will change, but they recognise it as an issue.
It's a step in the right direction.

[K-C]

ARRSE also have a thread running on this subject. There is also a petition at Equal Pensions for re-joined Armed Forces Personnel - e-petitions (http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/52778)

[lj101]

K-C

Article in The Times today;

The Ministry of Defence is reviewing pension rules that could benefit hundreds of soldiers and cost the Government millions after threats of legal action from ex-servicemen.
An internal inquiry has been started at the MoD to investigate the issue of pensions payments to soldiers with “split service”, and officials are preparing to make “a recommendation to ministers as to how to resolve the issue”, according to documents seen by The Times.
One warned that it would need Treasury permission to make “payment over what is allowed under the current rules”.
The affected soldiers include many who abandoned second careers to rejoin the forces to serve in Afghanistan. Those rejoining after 2005 fall under a different pension scheme that forbids them from counting their first period of service towards full pension rights.
In many cases, the servicemen claim that they were given incorrect advice, sometimes in writing, by senior officers and the Service and Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA), and that they were misled by the MoD’s online redundancy calculator.
The MoD has received many complaints from service personnel who volunteered for redundancy last year but received tens or hundreds of thousands of pounds less than they had been told to expect.
Carley Timms, an Afghan war veteran who left the Royal Artillery for three months to try to join the Navy, was told by the Army’s redundancy calculator to expect £49,590 but got only £20,893 because of the career break.
Tony Dempster, a former corporal, received confirmation in writing from the SPVA that he qualified for a lump sum of £48,575 and index-linked annual “early departure point” payments from £4,613 until his pension of £9,227 a year began at 65.
The Afghan war veteran with split service totalling 19 years accepted the package but was later told that only his second five-year period of service was considered relevant under the MoD’s pension rules. The difference between the promised settlement and what he receives is £156,000.
A document sent to army units on July 22 warned all service personnel that they could not aggregate their service if they had served separate periods under two different pension schemes.
In a statement, the MoD said: “We are aware that a few individuals who volunteered for redundancy did not receive the Early Departure Payment they expected. We ... are looking at these cases and investigating to find out if other personnel may be affected.”

[Just This Once...]

This has caught a number of people I know, including those who were approached by Manning to rejoin.

Some of our techies are caught in this too and these cases look tragic. One chap was forced out a couple of years before his 22 only to be invited back immediately to fill one of the pinch-points; complete with an OOA. With 20 years served on '75 & 6 years so far on '05 he has now been told he will not get either an IPP or EDP when he hits his LOS 30.

30 years and no immediate pension - ouch.

[K-C]

lj101

Thanks for posting this. The more publicity the better as this policy does affect both ex-servicemen and current members of all 3 services who have had a break in service at the relevant dates. It not only affects your right to an EDP at the relevant point in service, but if you do stay on, a lack of entitlement to an EDP means you aren't eligible for Specialist Pay etc. The financial penalties are huge all round.