Chug - Officers are not eligible for AIPs.
From Wander00's discovery:
As announced in the joint DWP/HMRC strategy paper, 'Tackling fraud and error in the benefit and tax credits systems', we will be bringing forward proposals in the Welfare Reform Bill to widen the range of working age benefit overpayments we can recover and this will include those resulting from official error. While the Department must take responsibility for its mistakes, that does not give people the right to keep taxpayers' money that they are not entitled to.
However, we recognise that recovery will not be appropriate in all cases, and the legislation will be supported by a code of practice which will set out the type of case where recovery action will not be taken. This will include overpayments arising from official error where the customer accepted the payment in good faith and where, given the customer's circumstances, it would be unreasonable for the money to be repaid.
Obviously HMT have decided that Armed Forces Personnel are in a reasonable position to repay the money.