PA pension. Bah, Humbug!
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PA pension. Bah, Humbug!
I've just been offered PA. Not a problem you might think however, I'm still on the 75 pension scheme and, at 55, I'll be £6k/year worse off (and £15k gratuity) than if I was on the 05 pension scheme. It would now seem that I cannot elect to change to the new pension scheme if I take PA.
Are there any others out there who have found themselves in this situation, or has anyone been able to appeal and change their pension?
Thanks
Are there any others out there who have found themselves in this situation, or has anyone been able to appeal and change their pension?
Thanks
Join Date: Jun 2005
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To the best of my knowledge, nobody has been allowed to swap pension schemes since April and that's not going to change. The best you can hope for is another FRI aimed at keeping you in for a few more years until you're perhaps too old for the airlines. However, I understand that the wheels have finally realised just how divisive a narrowly aimed FRI would be - so don't hold your breath!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
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I've just been offered PA. Not a problem you might think however, I'm still on the 75 pension scheme and, at 55, I'll be £6k/year worse off (and £15k gratuity) than if I was on the 05 pension scheme. It would now seem that I cannot elect to change to the new pension scheme if I take PA.
Are there any others out there who have found themselves in this situation, or has anyone been able to appeal and change their pension?
Thanks
Are there any others out there who have found themselves in this situation, or has anyone been able to appeal and change their pension?
Thanks
creek without a paddle.You win some, you lose some. If I could change now then I'd break their arm off.
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Those of us who stayed on the old scheme did so because we weren't committed "lifers". Maybe many of us hoped for PA but these days there's no guarantee of that, so we hedged our bets by not switching. Now you've got PA, are you sure you're going to be a lifer - or might the system still hack you off sufficiently for you to leave? If we weren't willing to commit to 55 by changing to the new scheme (I understand that the 2 aren't linked per), we have to swallow the pill when offered PA. As my old geography teacher used to say, it's just the "Bounce of the Ball."
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I have heard lots of rumour about the current state of the FRI. The latest was 100K 
for CS Sqn Ldr, and extension of FRI2 for the rest. Has anyone heard anything different or got any better info? Have heard from a Senior Officer at PMA that the FRI's are definately coming and have been 'approved', and have heard from a chap who sits two desks from him that they have not . Current FRI ends in Mar 07 - anyone have a clue when we might hear something - I can't believe that PMA aren't desperate to get something in place - everyone I know with only a year or 2 left is planning to go (except for 1 or 2 chaps).
Or will PMA simply let people leave and continue to fill Sqn's with Abbo's, and let the experience leave
for CS Sqn Ldr, and extension of FRI2 for the rest. Has anyone heard anything different or got any better info? Have heard from a Senior Officer at PMA that the FRI's are definately coming and have been 'approved', and have heard from a chap who sits two desks from him that they have not . Current FRI ends in Mar 07 - anyone have a clue when we might hear something - I can't believe that PMA aren't desperate to get something in place - everyone I know with only a year or 2 left is planning to go (except for 1 or 2 chaps).Or will PMA simply let people leave and continue to fill Sqn's with Abbo's, and let the experience leave
I got offered PA around the same time as the decision had to be made. Yes, if I leave at 55, the new scheme is tons better. However, not wanting to commit 100% to a 55 or nothing option, I stayed on the 75 scheme. If I do end up staying, well it's one of those things and I'll be worse off. Somehow, I doubt it.
Life is full of decisions and you won't get all of them correct. Those of you offered PA but still under the old scheme, well you can still leave or you stay and have a job until you're 55. Maybe, to make up the shortfall, you could invest in property or something? It's not so bad, really, is it, that it's driven guys to PVR?
Life is full of decisions and you won't get all of them correct. Those of you offered PA but still under the old scheme, well you can still leave or you stay and have a job until you're 55. Maybe, to make up the shortfall, you could invest in property or something? It's not so bad, really, is it, that it's driven guys to PVR?
Last edited by MG; 12th Nov 2006 at 17:09.
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I suppose we all sign onto the best deal as we see it at the time. I personally signed onto AFPS 05 as I was on NCA PA spine. However, here I am now, 2 years on and betrayed by PMA,(or should I say, foolish enough to believe them)? and effectively being forced to leave. I intended to stay on until 55, but my family is important too. I remain unfazed by this as **** happens. However,I have heard a "rumour" and note the quotation marks ,that because of poor information at the time of the changeover, a one off transfer between 05 and 75 may be possible. More info as I get get it, but I'm not holding my breath.
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Hang on a mo.,......everyone was given the option....everybody was fully brief on the consequences....you all received glossy's, briefs. emails. chats with the Boss etc etcf..the process went on and on and on and at the end of it you all made a decision as to which pension you wanted to be on.......
...............................and now you moan about finding yourself on the wrong one.....sorry shipmate but you were given enough warning and advice.
...............................and now you moan about finding yourself on the wrong one.....sorry shipmate but you were given enough warning and advice.
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I would suspect that only those who knew they were going to be offered or were actually in service until 55 would have transferred to the 05 scheme. Don't forget, service beyond 38 is not guaranteed and the old pension scheme at least gave you a pension from that point. The new pension scheme gives you next to nothing until you're 55. It would have been a fairly dull choice to 'hope' that I would get offered PA as nothing seems certain anymore.
What annoys me is the fact that a change in circumstances, or terms of service, is not accompanied with an option to change your pension. I may find myself serving with someone who is doing exactly the same as me, under the same terms but, for an input to a computer, will get more at the end of it. Seems a strange method for the retention of personnel.
What annoys me is the fact that a change in circumstances, or terms of service, is not accompanied with an option to change your pension. I may find myself serving with someone who is doing exactly the same as me, under the same terms but, for an input to a computer, will get more at the end of it. Seems a strange method for the retention of personnel.
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The advice and calculator is all very good for working out the figures.
However, for many of us approaching an option point at the time of the decision it was not so straightforward. If the rest of the jigsaw pieces were not in place the temptation was to play safe, as mentioned above, and remain on AFPS 75. For those who subsequently (i.e soon after the cut-off)decided that staying for the long haul was the way ahead it would have been nice to have an option to change to the 05 option.
I sound like a bleeding heart liberal, but after 18 years a bit more flexibility at the moment critique would have been appreciated; a 'let us know once you have decided to waive your option point' attitude would have worked wonders.
It's not the reason I have decided to take my option but it did get under my skin enough to be a factor.
However, for many of us approaching an option point at the time of the decision it was not so straightforward. If the rest of the jigsaw pieces were not in place the temptation was to play safe, as mentioned above, and remain on AFPS 75. For those who subsequently (i.e soon after the cut-off)decided that staying for the long haul was the way ahead it would have been nice to have an option to change to the 05 option.
I sound like a bleeding heart liberal, but after 18 years a bit more flexibility at the moment critique would have been appreciated; a 'let us know once you have decided to waive your option point' attitude would have worked wonders.
It's not the reason I have decided to take my option but it did get under my skin enough to be a factor.
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Agree wholeheartedly with Vechook. It is a decision you made, just like the rest of us.
I think I'm right in suggesting that your PA income is going to be greater than if you hadn't taken it?
Just 'cos you bet wrong is no reason to be treated as a special case, is it?
I think I'm right in suggesting that your PA income is going to be greater than if you hadn't taken it?
Just 'cos you bet wrong is no reason to be treated as a special case, is it?
You can change your pension decision post Apr 06 if and only if the decision you made prior to that date was based on incorrect information. I know, I originally elected to go with AFPS 05 but when it was discovered that information provided to me by my own desk officer was incorrrect, I approached the pensions office who allowed me to revert to AFPS 75 in Sep 06. Desk officer had a lot to answer for......yeah, right! Not even a sorry to all those he gave false hopes to or who have made decisions based on his wrong writings. The thing now is that now I am on AFPS 75, I will definitely not remain until my 55th birthday AFPS 05 would have kept me. A retention dis-incentive.
Hang on a mo.,......everyone was given the option....everybody was fully brief on the consequences....you all received glossy's, briefs. emails. chats with the Boss etc etcf..the process went on and on and on and at the end of it you all made a decision as to which pension you wanted to be on.......
...............................and now you moan about finding yourself on the wrong one.....sorry shipmate but you were given enough warning and advice.
...............................and now you moan about finding yourself on the wrong one.....sorry shipmate but you were given enough warning and advice.
Now PA has been offered to those concerned, surely this is a change to their terms of service ie longer contract,different pay spine. With these facts they should be offered an option to change at the same time as the PA offer.
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RODF3
This sitation also pertains to all enlisted ranks who would get the boot at 22 or 30 years of service if they don't at the whim of a selection board get promoted to FS with the offer of service to age 55. It was a risk many were not prepared to take, maybe they should also be given the option of moving to AFPS 05? Somehow I think that isn't likely to happen
This sitation also pertains to all enlisted ranks who would get the boot at 22 or 30 years of service if they don't at the whim of a selection board get promoted to FS with the offer of service to age 55. It was a risk many were not prepared to take, maybe they should also be given the option of moving to AFPS 05? Somehow I think that isn't likely to happen
RODF3
This sitation also pertains to all enlisted ranks who would get the boot at 22 or 30 years of service if they don't at the whim of a selection board get promoted to FS with the offer of service to age 55. It was a risk many were not prepared to take, maybe they should also be given the option of moving to AFPS 05? Somehow I think that isn't likely to happen
This sitation also pertains to all enlisted ranks who would get the boot at 22 or 30 years of service if they don't at the whim of a selection board get promoted to FS with the offer of service to age 55. It was a risk many were not prepared to take, maybe they should also be given the option of moving to AFPS 05? Somehow I think that isn't likely to happen