Originally Posted by
Bob Viking
For anyone who can remember AFPS 75 can you give me a quick heads up of the benefits of leaving on that vice AFPS 75/15?
What would it do to the lump sum?
BV
Bob Viking
2019 Rates:
22 years AFPS75 = 17,760.00 pa
+
6 years of PAS supplements = 2,411.10 pa
Total =
20,171.19 pa
Lump sum =
60,513.57 pa
Both totals above are without any commutation adjustment / enhancement.
NB that there are many flaws in the AFPS75 system with PAS. The pension tables and legislation were not fully completed for PA Spine, despite the promises over many years that these would be fixed in due course. The AFPS15 rollout effectively closed the AFPS75 scheme and the MoD took the view that it would not be updated further, leaving the errors and omissions cast-in-stone. This left some of the tables listing the defunct Specialist Aircrew Spine
(gone since 2015 when the last 4 remaining spec aircrew branch officers were moved onto PAS for the AFPS15 rollout) rather than the more recent PA Spine.
The MoD have taken the view that for these tables, including service attributable and non-attributable invaliding, that the absence of a specific table for PAS means that the individual reverts to their base rank for pension purposes. There is a further wrinkle in that in some cases you may fall out of the PA system onto Spec Aircrew terms (eg ToS restrictions), a spine that no longer exists but for which tables are published and updated.
The MoD's reluctance to reopen the AFPS75 legislation has lead to a few interesting aircrew-specific pension cases. Following a helicopter crash a flt lt
(PAS, previously Spec Aircrew) was medically discharged - his 'enhanced' medical pension was actually a massive cut from his normal PAS pension as it was calculated from a basic flt lt salary. He was given the opportunity to 'retire' normally to keep his PAS pension but this brought about other unintended consequences. He was not given the option to revert to his previous Spec Aircrew terms either. Others have not had this opportunity to game the system due to the severity of their injuries and have found their PAS pension removed on medical discharge.
The number of aircrew medically discharged is small and for those on PAS terms the number is smaller still, but those who deserve the best from their pension have been poorly served. The MoD's arguments over AFPS75 terms being frozen since 2015 have clearly collapsed since the court case and it is difficult to see how the MoD can avoid updating the scheme. No doubt they will drag their heels for as long as possible though.
Pensions are complicated so always seek professional advice. Regrettably actually finding someone who understands a brace of armed forces pensions specific for aircrew, Spec Aircrew, PA Spine, re-joiners, FTRS et al is remarkably difficult, if not impossible. So treat my numbers above with extreme caution.