Pension

[Winch-control]

Lump sum (gratuity) paid 3 days after leaving (July last year so JPA). Pension paid on the 22nd of the month, correct from day one and still correct.

[AYTCH]

Answer for Bluemoonfan

Said I'd get back to you. Exactly 10 working days after my last paid day of service the gratuity is in the bank account....it has never looked so good. Still do not understand with computers why this could not have been in the bank the day I left??? Not got a answer on when the pension will be paid for the first time but hoping to get that from Xafinity tomorrow. Of note, the letter telling you definitively how much each bit comes to ie, lump sum, resettlement commutation lump sum, pension and how much comes off it to fund the commutation was sent out first-class post only 9 days after I left. Off on holiday tomorrow!!!!!!

[Melchett01]

10 days to go, planning how to spend it

Being a bit optimistic there aren't we ..... or should that be hopeful?

I'd check with C-in-C Home Command before you actually spend any of your hard-earned cash. Haven't you seen the various kitchen catalogues arriving in the post over the past few weeks

[L1A2 discharged]

Last day of service 1st June, EDP lump sum in the bank 13th, 'Pension' in on 23rd.

Mortgage paid off, new (ish) car on the drive. Full time job puts me back to where I was in income + a bit.

Wage and EDP taxed at BR (Base Rate) 20%, return to be filled in next year

[Cornerstone958]

A word of advice from one who has been bitten! Keep your eye on your Tax Return & code and remember that YOUR tax office is in Cardiff. Don't be fooled by some T in the office that is responsable for your employer who tells you that 'it's on the computer'! I got stung for over 8K in one year
Cornerstone

[Lurking123]

Yes, JPAC are very good at sending you a P45 that never seems to get to you. Next thing you know your tax code has a little M1 at the end of it - emergency tax!! Give JPAC a call, they will tell you they sent your P45 and the law prohibits them from sending a duplicate. They will, begrudgingly, send you a letter which you then need to throw back in the system to get yourself off emergency tax.

[Doctor Cruces]

Final day, 24th Nov, lump sum in on payday that month, (last working day or whatever) Pension payable on 24th, so mine went OK.

Mind you that was in 1997 when you could talk to people by phone who knew what you were talking about (and more importantly what THEY were talking about, well mostly anyway).



Doc C

[Yeller_Gait]

P45 and letter from Pensions office advising actual pension benefits arrived about 10 days after leaving. EDP lump sum in bank a couple of days later .... thanks JPA :-)

It would have been useful if the letter also told you what day of the month your EDP gets paid into the bank but can't be too critical I suppose.

Cheers, off now to spend some money, unfortunately the wife gets to choose what to spend it on.



Y_G

[Raincheck]

Gratuity payment

Last day of "Work" Mar 6 1997, last day of service Jul 14. Gratuity appeared in my (our !) bank account 8 days later and pension appears as regular as clockwork on the 24th. I really do think that there was a considerable difference in the handling of the individual those few years ago. eg Pension forecast and gratuity forecast ordered over over the phone and appearing on my desk in a couple of days. Such advances in technology astound even me.

[L J R]

Errors anyone??

Has anyone had a huge difference in actual lump sum and pension comparing Pension Calculator (say) 6 monthd prior to departure, and actual Pension Office estimate/statement on exit. And/Or has anyone had a large difference from the 'annual' entitlement of your written forecast from the Pensions Office?? - you know, the one that you have to apply for IN WRITING - e-mail/phone request not acceptable, and only allowed one per year.??

[MightyGem]

I got stung for over 8K in one year

If your in the 40% tax band, speak to the tax office and get them to tax your pension at 40%. Saves getting a bill at the end of the year.

[dallas]

Anyone know if it makes a difference to my partner if we get married before I leave the Service as opposed to afterwards, in terms of continued benefits if I snuff it? (AFPS75)

[BEagle]

Unless the RAF has now moved into the 21st Century, it used to be the fact that your pension would only be paid to your widow if you CAT5'd before she did....

Married the day before you leave, hit by a falling meteorite the day after you leave - she gets your pension.

Be in a long term unmarried relationship and make financial contributions to you parner's welfare for 25 years, then get hit by a falling meteorite the day after you leave - she gets nothing.

Has that changed yet?

[Melchett01]

Still on pensions, but at a slight tangent to the previous 'what I'm going to spend it on / when did you get it' discussion:

Since JPA came in, has anybody managed to get any details on pensions without going through JPAC ie ringing the AFPAA direct? I didn't think it could be done, but a chum at work stated that she always rang AFPAA direct rather than JPA. And shortly afterwards, I did then find an AFPAA leaflet lying around one of the crewrooms.

My reason for asking is simple - I have been trying to find out the cost / benefits of taking out AVCs to boost the number of years served since last year without luck.

As I joined in Oct 98, so that is the month when they will start taking the extra payments if I sign up, but I have been trying to get a straight answer from them since Nov last year. When I rang JPAC to insert a size 10 a month ago before I came out to the desert I was told 'we have to give them 10 days to respond'; when I pointed out I had given them almost 8 months, they just shrugged and mummbled a number at me. Apart from that, the only other thing I have managed to do to give me a rough idea of the benefits is to tweek the dates on the online calculator to reflect the extra number of months service I can buy, but that is a bit of a finger in the air plan.

So if there is another way of getting hold of the pensions people other than JPAC, would be interested to know (even if it is direct to AFPAA). PM me if you prefer.

[dallas]

http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/55EDB...ambenefits.pdf

This link tries to explain it in the usual MoD 'we're making out we're explaining it, but being pretty vague so relatives will have to press to test' -style language. My interpretation is get married before you die and it'll be simpler for the relatives - it doesn't seem to matter if you married while in the Service.

[round&round]

I left in April and didn't receive a penny, no pension, no lump sum. Phoned after 2 weeks and told it takes a month. Waited a month, nothing. Phoned several times and got nowhere. Sent a formal complaint via the website and used the phrase "you are causing me severe financial hardship" Got a response within 24 hours from a serving officer and all money was in my account 5 days later.

If you get problems don't phone, you'll get fobbed off. Send an email and put something emotve in it. The "financial hardship" phrase mandates a rapid response!!

[foormort]

How much

I'm too lazy to even begin to think about using the pensions calculator. If I leave at my 16/38 pt as a 3yr Sqn Ldr on the old system how much do I get, ballpark figures? Both lump sum and pension.

[Tiger_mate]

That has to be the most arrogant post that I have ever seen on any forum. "I cannot be bothered so please do it for me old chap" You may drive F16s and have a cushy US exchange but get off your derriere and work it out for yourself, for with your arrogance you deserve the square root of F-All.

[Rossian]

You can tell a knucklehead - but not very much

Foormort:
Hasn't struck you that that the no. of F16 pilots in the RAF is pretty low and that as a result of one of the stupidest, most arrogant posts I've seen, a large no. of people now KNOW that you are a complete tosser (they probably suspected it before but now they KNOW!).
The Ancient Mariner

PS some kind soul in the FJ world will know your name and soon we'll ALL know who you are.

[FFP]

Because of course he definately IS an F-16 exchange officer. His public profile says so

Just looked up 3 yr S/L on the old system using the pension calculator. Both lump sum and pension.

But I can't be arsed to post it

Tiger Mate,

cushy US exchange

It's an oxymoron. No such thing. Have a mate out there who says he deploys for twice as long as he did in the UK, works from 7 am to 6 pm to keep up with the Blackberry brigade they have and is unlikely to get promoted out of it cos the promotion board think he's been overreported on, despite him being selected to go out there as an abassador presumably for doing something right in the first place

But he knew that before he went, so I tell him where sympathy sits in the dictionary......