I'm sure there are posts left, right and centre now. DIB 2010/95 has just been issued on the new 'rules' for CEA.
Headline points:
· The link between Involuntarily Separated Status (INVOLSEP) and automatic eligibility to CEA for permanent assignments will be removed. This will mean that CEA claimants posted to MOD London, and certain designated positions within JFHQ (PJHQ) will no longer be eligible to claim CEA whilst serving unaccompanied.[1]
· The claiming of CEA without accompanied service on the basis of historic RN regulations for previously designated seagoing billets will also cease. This will mean that, in future, Naval Service personnel permanently assigned to a previously designated seagoing billet who are ineligible for the transitional arrangements described below will be required to demonstrate their commitment to family mobility and accompanied service by moving their family home to the Base Port in order to retain continued entitlement to CEA, provided that all other eligibility criteria are met.
· Transitional arrangements have been agreed for existing CEA claimants serving unaccompanied whilst on permanent assignment to MOD London, designated positions within JFHQ (PJHQ) and Sea Service billets in Ships and Submarines, to retain the INVOLSEP concession for continued CEA eligibility until the end of their current assignment. Extant rules will then apply for subsequent appointments, therefore for the purpose of the assignment after serving INVOLSEP it will be assumed that a family move has occurred, even if the SP returns to a longstanding family home. Service personnel in possession of a permanent Assignment Order dated prior to this announcement and with a latest arrival date of prior to 1 Sep 11 to either MOD London, designated positions within JFHQ (PJHQ) and Sea Service billets in Ships and Submarines, and who intend to initially claim or to continue to claim CEA on the basis of the INVOLSEP provision, will be included in these transitional arrangements.
· The “Sibling Rule” will be removed from the CEA regulations. This will mean that in future, all children will be required to demonstrate their suitability for boarding for at least 3 terms before being allowed to transfer to day schooling, should the location of the family home permit.
· The Children’s Education Advisory Service (CEAS) will initiate a review of CEA entitlement where the claimant’s family home has not relocated during 2 consecutive assignments, rather than 3.
· Aggregation will be removed from the CEA regulations. This will mean that the ability to offset more expensive school fees against less expensive ones will be removed.
Hmm, a posting to Whitehall, with a bed-sit in Croydon or the kids going to some sink comprehensive gets my vote!