RAF JPA Rollout

[PompeySailor]

Originally Posted by TheInquisitor

Try taking EDS to the small claims court - after all, it is THEIR useless system and pointless, lazy staff in the JPAC who are the cause of this.

Boils my pi$$, so it does!!!

I suppose you could try the trick that people are trying with the banks - hit them with a legal claim for unfair charges (in their case) and take them to a small claims court. It would appear the banks are rolling over on almost every case, but trying to delay the whole process. If EDS were hit with multiple small claims court hearings, their response would be interesting.

This is the link about the banks (http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi...41050760,24632) I don't know how much of that could be modified to apply to the current JPA situation? Any friendly (and free!) solicitors out there who could point out the exact legal failings of the current system to pay people correctly or to rectify problems within a reasonable time?

[Roland Pulfrew]

Originally Posted by rotarynav2639

Has anyone heard for sure if the old Rates system is going to return?? I have heard that it will be re-introduced down at Lyneham some time in the Autumn 2006.
Cheers
RN2639

Anyone know if the old pay system is going to be reintroduced?? I am currently down only a relatively trivial £250-ish and so far only for 2 months. Fortunately I am keen and aware enough to challenge some of the issues on my pay statement, but what about those currently OOA or who are perhaps not quite as rigorous at checking their statements?

I do not find the new statement anywhere as near as user friendly as the old one. The utter stupity of getting a refund of food charges etc for a period of leave paid back as the amount divided by 30 or 31 days is utterly stupid. Why do we have to have this? Why can't they just refund No of days away x daily food charge? Is anyone out there listening? Do their airships care? Or are the fat, dumb and happy? After all DCDS Pers seems content that JPA is working!!!!

Oh and I understand that DCDS Pers (he who was responsible for the introduction of this farce) has just ordered that all "open" calls from the first 4 months of JPA be "closed" - after all they must all be sorted by now!!! So if you still have an "open" call I suggest you check its status.

[PompeySailor]

Originally Posted by Roland Pulfrew

Anyone know if the old pay system is going to be reintroduced?? I am currently down only a relatively trivial £250-ish and so far only for 2 months. Fortunately I am keen and aware enough to challenge some of the issues on my pay statement, but what about those currently OOA or who are perhaps not quite as rigorous at checking their statements?

I do not find the new statement anywhere as near as user friendly as the old one. The utter stupity of getting a refund of food charges etc for a period of leave paid back as the amount divided by 30 or 31 days is utterly stupid. Why do we have to have this? Why can't they just refund No of days away x daily food charge? Is anyone out there listening? Do their airships care? Or are the fat, dumb and happy? After all DCDS Pers seems content that JPA is working!!!!

Oh and I understand that DCDS Pers (he who was responsible for the introduction of this farce) has just ordered that all "open" calls from the first 4 months of JPA be "closed" - after all they must all be sorted by now!!! So if you still have an "open" call I suggest you check its status.

JPA do release updates/bulletins, but you have to be on the system to see them! One that you may be interested in that the RAF will lose all access to the system when the RN come online for a 10 day period. And then unit HR staffs (the ones that they decimated) will be the only people allowed to access the system for an unspecified time after that.

The "closing calls" is correct, and they also operate a policy of "group closure" - if more than one person has the same problem, they investigate it as a group issue, and close off everyone's call regarding that subject. Nice way of keeping the numbers down!

[SirToppamHat]

Cea Paid (sort Of!)

Hi All

Sorry to bring this back to the top of the thread, but I promised I would when I eventually got paid the CEA owed and I have been ... well sort of.

My ongoing grumpiness eventually led those nice people from Human Resources (you know, the ones who used to sort out Boarding School Allowance) to pay me by BACCS transfer. The £12K arrived in my account on the day the overdraft ran out. However, this is only a loan pending payment through the JPA System. When that happens (and I am assured it will, one day) I will need to write a cheque for the full amount to pay the Station back.

I cannot possibly be the only person on here who is in a similar position - how many more are there out there?

I still have to redress the Stn Cdr (who has been great throughout I might add) so that he can pass details up the chain and (hopefully) refund me the costs associated with the overdraft.

I notice that there is a new thread for our Dark Blue Bretheren faced with this debacle. The very best of British. Oh and here's a question I was asked by one of the JOs the other day:

"If we are not allowed to have our mobiles on in the buildings on the Stn, what are all those stupid little yellow mobile-phone-holder 'deck chairs' for that JPA have sent us?"

Errrm

Regards

STH

[Farfrompuken]

Well, it appears my 'saving scheme' has matured - JPA looks set to pay me the majority of my dues at the end of the month.
MacBook Pro perhaps?

[JayPAC Frontliner]

Wow, RAF roll-out, what fun that's been, and I'm not even RAF personnel! (although perhaps the username gives it away)

I, as well as many of my colleagues, feel sorry for you all, and for what it was, wish SAMA would be brought back online. But, that would be seen as taking a step back, and God help it if the Government were to be seen as doing that!

Haven't read that much about the Enquiry Centre here (admittedly, I've not read all 54 pages of this thread!) but I can assure you, the Southern (for a diplomatic way of putting it) section really will try and do anything they can to get things resolved but we are limited in our capacities and it does frustrate us.

Moving on - it's a shambles that the RAF gets no access for a length of time for RN roll-out. 8th October is the cut-off date (date for your diaries) if you'd like anything actioned. It's expected to be shut-down then. 23rd October - D-Day Mk II. I just hope it goes better than the RAF roll-out... for all our sakes....

Wonder how the RN feel about their pre-Christmas pay being handled by JPA ? Mmm... confident as we are no doubt.

Anyway, only time will tell whether things will improve.... let's hope the mysterious back offices and programmers put down their doughnuts and get to work.... quickly.

Rant over for now, sorry if it bored you, just had to get it out!

-JayPAC Frontliner

[FrogPrince]

Oracle Openworld

JayPAC,

Not been invited to California next month, then ?

http://www.oracle.com/openworld/atte...nce/index.html

FP

[SaddamsLoveChild]

JPA Farce

I asked for an advance of rates prior to deploying to Iraq because of the unorthodox manner in which I was briefed and transported. It was paid 10 days after I needed it, and whats more they tried to reclaim it in full from my pay 30 days after it was issued. I had no JPA terminal in the AOR I was working hence I could not complete the correct forms and submit them. My pay has been screwed up since May and has not been corrected for 5 months and other than welfare phonecalls I am unable to do anything. When I get home the RAF wont have access because of Senior Service primacy while their pay is messed about and I am about 2K short. Luckily Mrs SLC has her own account and is able to monitor mine (you can give access to others to your account if you trust them enough).

What I have done that may be of use to others is sent a tersely worded email to the email helpdesk and must have got one of the few competent caring people there; it was answered within a day and all recoveries were frozen until my return. I think they are trying to help and it cant be easy for those that are professional and care.

You can sue your station commander or take him to the small claims court because he is the Senior Officer directly responsible for you. Its a gutsy move and comes with its own hazards. I sent my Stn Cdr a solicitors letter a few years ago when my pay had been completely screwed up for 9 months, it was sorted out in 2 weeks. But if you do ......dust off your No 1's you will be seeing the inside of a lot of offices.

[Ali Barber]

On the plus side, there seems to be some kind of lottery built into JPA. Back in July I must have got 5 numbers because I got the overseas portion of my pay twice. But this month, I've got the bonus ball as well; JPA has inadvertantly overpaid me by almost £30,000.

I know of at least one other who has had the same prize and it seems that JPA doesn't know how to recover it. Add in some FFR changes and it's going to get very confusing. Any suggestions on what to do with this windfall while the RAF is locked out of JPA?

[PompeySailor]

Originally Posted by Ali Barber

On the plus side, there seems to be some kind of lottery built into JPA. Back in July I must have got 5 numbers because I got the overseas portion of my pay twice. But this month, I've got the bonus ball as well; JPA has inadvertantly overpaid me by almost £30,000.

I know of at least one other who has had the same prize and it seems that JPA doesn't know how to recover it. Add in some FFR changes and it's going to get very confusing. Any suggestions on what to do with this windfall while the RAF is locked out of JPA?

Hi interest savings account, locked in for 6 months. Tell them that they cannot recover it immediately, and you would like to see the proposals for recovery, and you are looking at 6 months. You also want to see the documentation and breakdowns of why the money was paid incorrectly, and how they come to the figure that they claim you have been paid. Tell them where you have put the money, and that it is safe. Tell them that you will be keeping the interest and donating it to a Service Charity. Tell them that if they decide to get arsey about it all, you will take the pay slip, their letters, and anything else to a solicitor and the press.

Watch them squirm.

Of course, legally you have no right to hang onto the money. Best bet in reality is to open an internet only bank account, slide the whole lot in there, and wait for them to contact you about repayments. They could take you to court for immediate repayment, but admitting that they stuffed up this badly would not look good - court is very, very public......

[airborne_artist]

Any suggestions on what to do with this windfall

Ring Wing Commander Field (the Chemical Ali of the RAF), and tell him you'll be putting it on all red come Friday night. Then put the phone on handsfree while your mates gather round to hear the spluttering

[JayPAC Frontliner]

FrogPrince - Must be joking, my good man! We'd never be allowed NEAR California! Although, it is a rather enticing prospect - sun, sea, slating JPA.....

Ali Barber - That certainly is a bonus ball! Wonder if we can find one like it! Think PompeySailor's advice is probably best! Though, can I ask what the £30,000 overpayment was for ? Would be most intriguing to know!

[L1A2 discharged]

Overpayments / Advances

The experience of a few (lots) of people who were overpaid and then badgered into writing cheques to repay the money, only to then find that JPA also reclaimed the same funds back the following month is v bad.

If you have had an advance of rates there is no system within JPA to balance the advance against the full claim. PMA have a growing list of people who owe money back which will be reclaimed "sometime"

Keep the money safely, don't spend it because its recovery will be effected at this "sometime" future date.

If it is a 'simple' overpayment the system may reclaim it at the following pay period, unfortunately you then enter the JPA pay merry go round and, similarly to the old system, it will be months before it balances properly.

[PompeySailor]

Originally Posted by L1A2

The experience of a few (lots) of people who were overpaid and then badgered into writing cheques to repay the money, only to then find that JPA also reclaimed the same funds back the following month is v bad.

If you have had an advance of rates there is no system within JPA to balance the advance against the full claim. PMA have a growing list of people who owe money back which will be reclaimed "sometime"

Keep the money safely, don't spend it because its recovery will be effected at this "sometime" future date.

If it is a 'simple' overpayment the system may reclaim it at the following pay period, unfortunately you then enter the JPA pay merry go round and, similarly to the old system, it will be months before it balances properly.

Do you also realise that the RAF/JPA may not be aware of this overpayment? It's a little known fact that the audit trail/budgetary limit control element of JPA was not instituted, and that there is no one tasked with ensuring that the overall monthly spend is within tolerances - by contrast, the RN has designated a 2* to at least cast a cursory glance over the vote allocations for each element of the pay system to ensure that the variation is reasonable, and at least trackable. Which is why some people go an awful long time before being asked to pay money back. Unfortunately/fortunately, JPA and RAF rely on the honesty of the people to admit to these sort of cockups.

Best advice - sit quietly and try not to smirk too much.

[Ali Barber]

I've seen my pay statement and it is for the normal amount. This money has come out of the blue (or purple now the RN are coming on board?).

[PompeySailor]

Originally Posted by Ali Barber

I've seen my pay statement and it is for the normal amount. This money has come out of the blue (or purple now the RN are coming on board?).

Nothing on the pay statement, but the bank shows a BACS transfer? Interesting.

What money?

[Ali Barber]

Back at the end of June they paid my overseas allowance twice. Got a call from the bank today saying that the original clearing bank was asking for it back. Don't have a problem with that, nor if they do the same to reclaim the massive overpayment I just got. Only concerned that it was only because my bank queried it with me and wanted my authorisation as well, that I knew anything about it. no notification from JPA that they were about to do that. Good old HSBC, not so good JPA!

[Hueymeister]

Can't get on line at the mo....is the JPAC website dead at the mo?

[PerArdua]

Just looking at the latest operational bulletin they are introducing some software to prevent too many users logging on to the system as while they have a system capable of steady state running they are upset that we are all on changing our choice of postings and next of kin details. It will be interesting to see how many people can't get on to the system when the Navy comes on.

PA

[PompeySailor]

Originally Posted by PerArdua

Just looking at the latest operational bulletin they are introducing some software to prevent too many users logging on to the system as while they have a system capable of steady state running they are upset that we are all on changing our choice of postings and next of kin details. It will be interesting to see how many people can't get on to the system when the Navy comes on.

PA

Perhaps if you all stopped applying for the Chief of the Air Staff job, or postings in the West Indies, the rest of the RAF could get on and do some account maintenance?

Can't wait to get on and start applying to be Second Sea Lord!