After some 35 years, tired of the deteriorating state of the RAF, I pulled the B&Y in 2003 having done some calculations regarding the best date and having harboured the maximum leave possible....
You MUST photocopy a calendar when you get your final date, fill in all the bank holidays and grants, then allow a day for the resettlement work shop and another for a discharge medical. Then tick off all the days backwards from your exit date until you get to the day you drive out through the main gate for the last time. Then allow another 3 or 4 days for clearing, giving back your watch and gas mask etc - and (if he can be bothered - mine wasn't) a farewell interview with Harry. That defines your last working day
Stopped working on April 4th, paid until August 7th, then as TOFO states, the next day a nice large figure appeared in my account.
My final date of service was Aug 7th and my pension date is the 28th of the month. The reason for the seemingly random date is, I gather, to spread the cost to the exchequer.
The regular pay for the first 7 days of August and the pension element for the remainder of the month were both paid on time. The whole thing was totally seamless.
But that was long before the bolleaux of JPA!
Whatever, when you receive your gratuity, transfer it asap to a savings account!!
Last edited by BEagle; 5th Jul 2008 at 08:25.