Council Tax Rebate Announced

[Al R]

Mutley4 and Greycoat,

Agreed. The problem is, a g'ment weiner will use that sort of data as a measure of public opinion. Its lucky the lads have the Airships fighting so hard for them then.

[abbotyobs]

NATO pay is around 70 euros a day with most countries adding a certain amount to make it larger, apart from the UK Gov who actually keeps for itself, 50 euros a day, to leave around 20 euros a day for the plucky Brits.
A recent straw poll
Belgium 120 euros a day extra
Norway 130 euros
Netherlands 90 euros
US,CAN,AUS tax free salary across all ranks plus combat bonus pay
UK 20 euros a day tax free fixed amount, mmm!

[Mobile Muppet]

It's been a long time since i posted last but the topic of NATO pay is one that really grips me. I don't mind doing my stints away but seeing other partner nations getting the respect and welfare compared to us is depressing. I would love someone (JOURNO) to delve into where our nato pay goes and why. 70 euros per day/ per service man is a hell of alot of money. Feathering the nests and perks of our already over paid polititions and senior civil servents i feel !

[Al R]

I was told by a serving NCO earlier today, that singlies might have to pay full food and accom from the moment they are detached on training courses.. is this right, or did I get the wrong end of the wedge?

[Pontius Navigator]

Originally Posted by Al R

I was told by a serving NCO earlier today, that singlies might have to pay full food and accom from the moment they are detached on training courses.. is this right, or did I get the wrong end of the wedge?

The rules changed 1 Jul I believe. If you meant singlies that live out and pay rent at their parent station then they will be in the same boat as everyone else.

The wrong end of the wedge you are talking about is the one with sticky brown bits on it.

[Al R]

Sorry. I meant to say Scalies. It was hard to hear clearly, what was being said though, there was quite a lot of profanity..

[45 before POL]

Same old Government...same old spin!......a disgrace this comes out of the Defence budget which is struggling as it is. This is robbing peter to pay paul. I agree this should be refunded by the councils automatically and let the tax payer(i being one) pick it up. Huge appreciation to the work you guys/girls do.....about time this leadership sat up and took notice......after all ...a certain person is considering an election

[Compressorstall]

The problem is that the majority of the UK population has no contact with the military and to them the Govt is seen to be doing something positive. They don't care if we are in a shell scrape in Sangin getting shelled for 19 hrs, they prefer to read the story of the female Lt sh***ing her Troop Sgt, or the Air Marshal spending thousands on new curtains and an air conditioned dog kennel - how do you put a price on what we do? Ask Mrs CS as she is the one who sits at home whilst I suddenly have to leg it from the phone due to an insurgent sponsored interruption, she has to explain to the kids why my flight home is delayed, she has to run the house and compare her lifestyle to those of her peers whose husbands work in civvy jobs... Yes we have a great job, but now we are in a Coalition, the things we compare are not pay rates with our Allies, but the perks we get compared to Aus and US, just like anyone who works for BT or HSBC. If you don't want to make our time overseas tax-free Mr Brown, then provide us with stability for our families, postings officers who are compassionate to the needs of our families, help with mortgages wherever we live, continuing professional development, equipment that works and that is available to train on so that we can train the newer generations.
In short, stuff your council tax - support your military properly - although I have just seen Miliband stating that there "never is a military solution" - must be based on his time attending an OTC Cocktail Party...why did they send us to Iraq then? Good to know we're directed by people who know what they're on about. Is there an election due?

[Fearofabluntplanet]

Never a mil solution..?

To be fair to Miliband, what i think he meant was that the military cannot ultimately provide a satisfactory solution to any foreign policy issue. We can only hope to provide the initial impetus toward that end state.

Ie Afghanistan will remain a problem until the military have been able to create enough breathing space for a meaningful civil society to develop, eventually becoming robust enough to provide its own internal security. In that sense the final solution is a civil, not a military, issue.

Sorry to get off topic there... This council tax rebate does seem to be a bit of a p--- take though!

[Fareastdriver]

Times don't change. In Cyprus in the seventies the then Labour govenment ensured that all British UN personnel spent time in an SBA so as to interrupt there continous service in Cyprus. This ensured that they were not entitled to United Nations pay whilst the Irish, Danish, Canadians, Finns and Aussies were all wallowing in dollars.

[10enggone]

Nato Pay

It will never be given to those who earn it as the majority of the public have no interest in the military and this allows government after government to take the NATO pay and add it to budgets that will get votes.

And the new addition of paying for food and accom when you are on a course......They'll claw back well in excess of the trifling amount they will refund in council tax and most likely put it into another budget that will help when Broon does call an election

And if he loses the winning party will do the same....different party same result in' ers

Rant over

[Stuff]

A few people have mentioned single person's council tax discount earlier in this thread.

Some months ago my wife headed off to Iraq (4 month tour) and I applied to the council for the 25% single person's discount. I was told that I wasn't eligable as our house in the UK would still be her "permanent residence" and she was only temporarily away. This was a private home not Families Quarters.

Have I been fed a line here?
Has anyone successfully claimed the discount for a deployment?

[Wrathmonk]

Stuff

Wife tried to claim the discount when I deployed on TELIC 1 but with no success (despite support from the local Tory MP). However, I was entitled to a 25% discount whilst I was a full time, living in, "mature" student (but returned home every weekend). Go figure!

Not sure if it has been mentioned earlier in the thread but I have heard that being banged up at HMs pleasure allows your wife/husband/partner a 25% reduction in council tax. Anyone able to confirm?

Edited to add ... just been to Google and found the following link. Whilst it is for Reading Council I'm sure they are all the same. Confirms my suspicion that you are entitled to a council tax discount if somenone formally in the property is now in prison or held somewhere else by the authorities. I'm sure a good lawyer could argue that personnel deployed OOA are being "held somewhere else by the authorities".