Loss of resettlement assistance at 55 if extended?

[Whenurhappy]

I've copied this from ARRSE as it is very similar to what happened to a mate at Air Command:

A very good friend and current work colleague - a Group Captain - was offered an extension (at 52) from 55 to 60, which he accepted (kids at school etc). However, he has decided to dabble in a few resettlement courses and was told - categorically - that he cannot undertake any resettlement courses until he PVRs (ET in new Pence) or until he reaches 58.

Now ordinarily, once you get to 50 you can start resettlement courses without having to PVR; for some reason (and what seems to be a quirk in the regulations) that entitlement has stopped if you are extended beyond 55, with NEM cited as the reason.

Now I don't have a dog in this particular fight but my colleague is absolutely fuming about this. He can't see the logic of this and has been basically palmed off with 'computer says no'. He was very tempted to PVR but luckily his wife persauded him to calm down. Instead he's stomping off to a solicitor friend; compunded by the fact he is at a digital and remote overseas post.

Have any elderly - but still serving - Arrsers encountered this problem? Any advice I can give before he has a coronary?

This seems absolutely extraordinary - what can be done about it?

[bonajet]

Have I misread this Whenurhappy? As it stands resettlement courses start five eyers before retirement. You take a voluntary extension of five years at Gp Capt's pay/allowances and are upset that you can't start the woodwork course until you're 58? I think I agree with his wife that the five year's money is a good deal! I'd stay with her rather than running off with a solicitor friend at 52.

[Bing]

As it stands resettlement courses start five eyers before retirement.

No, resettlement courses start two years before your termination date, at the point you PVR, or at age 50 irrespective of how long you have left to serve. This individual seems to have been caught by some discrepancy between the old and the new rules which means the last option no longer applies to him. It seems a bit odd as I don't recall you get any extra resettlement leave or money to do the courses with.

[Carpenterfish]

Seems odd for the army to be asking this type.of question as they are put out to pasteurised at an early age, Commissioned or not.
As far as I remember, you need to have served 30 years or be 50 and older, whichever comes first. tdf can easily answer any nuances, but I'm pretty sure it's governed by QRs and not a JSP.

[reds & greens]

Oh my word, some people want everything.
Why not identify the best Resettlement based on your experiences to date, and then do extra ones based on a hobby or interest you have?
That way you have feet in both doors when the exit date arrives...
I did, served my time and used both to sit comfortably now, earning 3+ times my exit salary, with a Pension to boot.

[Whenurhappy]

I've looked into this and it would have affected me if I had stayed. If a resettler needs to gain professional qualifications, sometimes the lead time for courses and CPE can cover a number of years especially in the financial services and engineering areas. At 50, this gives people up to five years to do this and leave in an orderly manner at 55. However, it seems that a lot of middle-ranked officers in the RAF have been granted extensions to 60 and they now have to wait until they are 58 to start resettlement. Just hope they have adequate wheel chair facilities available...

[Onceapilot]

If they chose to extend, I guess they should have had all their ducks in a row? Or, maybe as Gp Capt, they had not seen enough of the crap that can be flung at you in the Services?
Personally, I went by the mantra, every day you work after full pension age is a day less that you draw that hard earned pension! :cool:

OAP

[Gnd]

Contrary to popular belief, it is not just the RAF who can (and have) extended to 60; the Army certainly can but I don't know about the Navy. The Navy rules always did confuse me and I am pretty sure they had to go at 50?

There was also a 'grace period' for the older employees which meant they didn't have to transfer onto any new scheme (pay 16 etc...). If he chose to change ToS, there would be different rules and the 2 year is probably one of those.