CYPRUS LOA
In 72/3(?) the Cyprus L.O.A. was increased and two wives were discussing it in the N.A.A.F.I. shop. Another wife overheard and tasked her husband with explaining what this was all about. With a straight face he said " That's alright dear, I didn't want you to worry about it so I've taken care of it"
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LOSLOA in Belgium was been cut by about 40% wef 1 Apr 15, notified on 1 Apr 15: for a moment I thought it was an EJSU April Fool joke, then realised that EJSU lacks the wit to even try.
I was under the impression that due to the general lack of volunteers for jobs overseas, and the feedback from various surveys that the total package for going abroad was being reviewed - with a view to it being made more attractive and not reduced further!!
LOA for a Sqn Ldr with 2 children in Germany is now a whopping £3 a day, that will compensate you for the whole cost of moving your family abroad /wrecking your credit score etc. Equivalent rate 4 years ago was £21 a day now tell me that is all to do with the ffr fluctuating and not a blatant cost saving measure. Here in Cyprus I will be £156 a month worse off because of the loa reduction as I rather recklessly send money back to the UK to a government backed/protected savings account, shame on me for not trusting the robbing Cypriot government.
The "Package" has been reviewed and the amazing measures they came up with were:
1. Increased disturbance allowance on outward move only (£400 extra), but loa will be cut accordingly. Basically they have incorporated the satellite/cable element into the disturbance allowance so will remove that element from loa. Cost effect neutral.
2. Unaccompanied VSOs will get full disturbance when they move into their official residence. Cost effect, who cares about VSOs?
3. Extra flights for children at boarding schools. Cost effect, trooper flights are on anyway so I imagine not a great deal.
4. Those travelling on posting to NW Europe can now have a nights subsistence. Cost effect, how many personnel do we have now in NW Europe, 100-200?
I may have missed others off but you get the idea, IMO they want people to serve abroad but aren't prepared to make it attractive enough to get people to volunteer. If you need 2 wages to pay your mortgage and have a comfortable life (including your partner having a rewarding career) then who in their right mind is going to go overseas and live off one wage and the pittance that loa has become?
The "Package" has been reviewed and the amazing measures they came up with were:
1. Increased disturbance allowance on outward move only (£400 extra), but loa will be cut accordingly. Basically they have incorporated the satellite/cable element into the disturbance allowance so will remove that element from loa. Cost effect neutral.
2. Unaccompanied VSOs will get full disturbance when they move into their official residence. Cost effect, who cares about VSOs?
3. Extra flights for children at boarding schools. Cost effect, trooper flights are on anyway so I imagine not a great deal.
4. Those travelling on posting to NW Europe can now have a nights subsistence. Cost effect, how many personnel do we have now in NW Europe, 100-200?
I may have missed others off but you get the idea, IMO they want people to serve abroad but aren't prepared to make it attractive enough to get people to volunteer. If you need 2 wages to pay your mortgage and have a comfortable life (including your partner having a rewarding career) then who in their right mind is going to go overseas and live off one wage and the pittance that loa has become?
Last edited by 4everAD; 4th Apr 2015 at 05:44.
Putting LOA to one side - and the change is principally due to the strong pound/ weak Euro, the recently-announced overseas package is welcome. There are still about 10,000 personnel in NW Europe, although this is drawing down by the day.
The SCV increase from 3 to 6 pa is very welcome. To us, also out East, that's worth about £2000 pa.
But there are still many anomalies. I've just spent a lot of money augmenting my uniform for my post - some of it is funded, some of it (eg fitting sword hooks, for example) is not! On occasions the security state requires me and my wife to use the CAV; fine for duty but if we, say, use the tank to drive from work to the apartment, we are billed an extortionate amount. Let's hope the terrorists only work office hours!
However, the biggie, which will never be properly addressed, is the loss of spousal earnings and impact on their careers.
The SCV increase from 3 to 6 pa is very welcome. To us, also out East, that's worth about £2000 pa.
But there are still many anomalies. I've just spent a lot of money augmenting my uniform for my post - some of it is funded, some of it (eg fitting sword hooks, for example) is not! On occasions the security state requires me and my wife to use the CAV; fine for duty but if we, say, use the tank to drive from work to the apartment, we are billed an extortionate amount. Let's hope the terrorists only work office hours!
However, the biggie, which will never be properly addressed, is the loss of spousal earnings and impact on their careers.
Last edited by Whenurhappy; 5th Apr 2015 at 08:10.
plus ça change ...
I found this in Hansard -
Have we caught up with the Swedes yet ?
And from the Army Families Federation website
That'll be to align with the NCP then ..... ?....... LFH
British Forces, Cyprus (Local Overseas Allowance)
HC Deb 22 April 1964 vol 693 cc1294-6
Mr. Driberg
"Would the right hon. Gentleman say why he did not include this information with the other information which he gave in reply to Question No. 33 last Wednesday, in which it was asked for? Was this because the local overseas allowance for British troops is only 15s. 9d. a week as compared with the £7 paid to the Swedes ?"
HC Deb 22 April 1964 vol 693 cc1294-6
Mr. Driberg
"Would the right hon. Gentleman say why he did not include this information with the other information which he gave in reply to Question No. 33 last Wednesday, in which it was asked for? Was this because the local overseas allowance for British troops is only 15s. 9d. a week as compared with the £7 paid to the Swedes ?"
And from the Army Families Federation website
The LOA rates for Cyprus are scheduled to be updated in October 2015.
CYPRUS LOA
4everAD.
Is that Sqn Ldr rate correct?! That's barely worth bothering with. Thank God I'm in Canada then. I won't tell you what the rate is or you might hunt me down and kill me! Although I won't pretend that the cost of living I as cheap here as it once was.
BV
Is that Sqn Ldr rate correct?! That's barely worth bothering with. Thank God I'm in Canada then. I won't tell you what the rate is or you might hunt me down and kill me! Although I won't pretend that the cost of living I as cheap here as it once was.
BV
Don't have the figures in front of me but the Sgt rate was approx £3 and I believe the Sqn Ldr rate is the same. I appreciate we probably don't have many personnel left in Germany and those that are there are due home very soon but £3 loa a day is an insult and those that are there must be glad to be coming home.
In addition to the list of enhancements to the overseas offer I forgot this gem:
You can now have a 4 month advance of pay on an overseas posting but this still has to be paid back in a year and if it adds up to more than £10000 you'll get stung by the tax man. By doing this MOD are kind of admitting that the set up costs for moving overseas are at least 4 months net pay but they're not prepared to meet this cost, they'd rather personnel put themselves in debt and struggle for the first year.
In addition to the list of enhancements to the overseas offer I forgot this gem:
You can now have a 4 month advance of pay on an overseas posting but this still has to be paid back in a year and if it adds up to more than £10000 you'll get stung by the tax man. By doing this MOD are kind of admitting that the set up costs for moving overseas are at least 4 months net pay but they're not prepared to meet this cost, they'd rather personnel put themselves in debt and struggle for the first year.
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Supply and Demand
While the RAF has a small number of interesting overseas assignments and the number of willing participants is greater than assignments available, the RAF can ratchet down the benefits until such a time as supply = demand. I was on the end of a sharp LOA decrease - did that stop my successor coming out? absolutely not, he took full advantage of the travel and social opportunities available in the foreign country irrespective of the personal and career costs. As long as people are still queuing up to go, the benefits will continue to fall.
H
H
Herc, the point is at some locations we have reached that point, at my location we can't get personnel to volunteer to come out: all sorts of manning levers are being pulled but we've had people turn down promotion rather than come here.
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4AD,
That is a sad state of affairs. There was no shortage of volunteers for my slot. However, I did take a substantial financial hit moving overseas - I estimate it took ~12 months to recover my "investment" and that was with a good LOA rate. Unsurprising people are are choosing not to lose money.
H
That is a sad state of affairs. There was no shortage of volunteers for my slot. However, I did take a substantial financial hit moving overseas - I estimate it took ~12 months to recover my "investment" and that was with a good LOA rate. Unsurprising people are are choosing not to lose money.
H
