Fancy rejoining....
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For some years after I left, I had a recurring dream that I had been called back! In them I was usually starting as a raw recruit.
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Luckily not, he ended up on Wessex...
Though I did work with a fully qualified music teacher with a degree who was an Armourer, and boy did he have a legitimate chip to carry, the CIO told him sorry no vacancies for musicians, but if you join as an armourer you can remuster to musician... ( you can't remuster to lower trade groups ) so he was stuck for the next 9 years hanging bombs on planes.
Though I did work with a fully qualified music teacher with a degree who was an Armourer, and boy did he have a legitimate chip to carry, the CIO told him sorry no vacancies for musicians, but if you join as an armourer you can remuster to musician... ( you can't remuster to lower trade groups ) so he was stuck for the next 9 years hanging bombs on planes.
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In 1955-6, on my Air Radar Fitters course, half the class were national servicemen, all of them had degree's.
The theory of the time was that they had shown an aptitude for learning, so the RAF could teach them what ever the RAF needed.
One of the NS guys had a PhD, in Zoology!
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I believe one or two senior war-horses have been procurred for the P8 programme. Given the average age of the seedcorners as well, the instructor's crewroom is going to pay passing resemblance to the day rooms of the "assisted living facilities" I pass on the way to buy my morning coffee. 
TOFO - I resemble that remark! 
For those mentioning the pension abatement - the way I see it is if you are going back in and getting the same pay as when you left then yes, you will lose your pension (full abatement). If you are going back in onto a lower pay than when you left, your pension continues but only enough to 'top-up' to the amount you were getting previously. I believe that has always been the case for rejoining HM forces (or civil service?). Interestingly, the latest pension scheme has changed this so a pension you earn from here on on the new scheme will not be affected by later additional service (as I understand). If you are rejoining just for the money, I think you may be missing the point of being able to do the job you want to and the other benefits of service life (such as they are - no rose tinted specs here).
For those mentioning the pension abatement - the way I see it is if you are going back in and getting the same pay as when you left then yes, you will lose your pension (full abatement). If you are going back in onto a lower pay than when you left, your pension continues but only enough to 'top-up' to the amount you were getting previously. I believe that has always been the case for rejoining HM forces (or civil service?). Interestingly, the latest pension scheme has changed this so a pension you earn from here on on the new scheme will not be affected by later additional service (as I understand). If you are rejoining just for the money, I think you may be missing the point of being able to do the job you want to and the other benefits of service life (such as they are - no rose tinted specs here).
Avoid imitations
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TOFO - I resemble that remark!
For those mentioning the pension abatement - the way I see it is if you are going back in and getting the same pay as when you left then yes, you will lose your pension (full abatement). If you are going back in onto a lower pay than when you left, your pension continues but only enough to 'top-up' to the amount you were getting previously. I believe that has always been the case for rejoining HM forces (or civil service?). Interestingly, the latest pension scheme has changed this so a pension you earn from here on on the new scheme will not be affected by later additional service (as I understand). If you are rejoining just for the money, I think you may be missing the point of being able to do the job you want to and the other benefits of service life (such as they are - no rose tinted specs here).
For those mentioning the pension abatement - the way I see it is if you are going back in and getting the same pay as when you left then yes, you will lose your pension (full abatement). If you are going back in onto a lower pay than when you left, your pension continues but only enough to 'top-up' to the amount you were getting previously. I believe that has always been the case for rejoining HM forces (or civil service?). Interestingly, the latest pension scheme has changed this so a pension you earn from here on on the new scheme will not be affected by later additional service (as I understand). If you are rejoining just for the money, I think you may be missing the point of being able to do the job you want to and the other benefits of service life (such as they are - no rose tinted specs here).
No, I think you are rather missing the point! The RAF contacted me (through my bank), rather than me contacting them, because they were very short of people with my experience and qualifications. I was already employed (in a job I wanted) and to lose my earned pension and take a pay cut was totally unacceptable. As for the "benefits of service life", the forever quoted "exigencies of the service", in my case (as opposed to others in my situation), outweighed them by a very long chalk, hence my decision to leave in the first place.
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"Ok Chaps, they want us back...."
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Well I don't earn quite as much (pay + pension) as I did when in, my main concern would be having to pay back all (or some) of the special capital payment I got for being made redundant and the commuted pension lump sum. Going through the publication at the moment but I suspect a call to Veterans UK might be in order. Ideally Something akin to the online pensions calculator should be made available to crunch the numb£rs and dates.
That said I work away from home at the moment so my overheads would be lower: there are jobs for my trade at the last base I worked at and my family home remains where it was when I was in.
That said I work away from home at the moment so my overheads would be lower: there are jobs for my trade at the last base I worked at and my family home remains where it was when I was in.
Last edited by Willard Whyte; 1st Feb 2018 at 15:47.
A letter to Veterans UK with your circumstances is the only sure way to check. Don't think they will advise on the redundancy though as not their empire. Plenty of info out there on that though - MMP116 has most of the answers for most cases. MMP138 has the formula for working out if you need to repay redundancy lump sums at the back.
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I shall find MMP138, thank you.
Edit: From '138 it looks like, should I rejoin, I won't have to pay the SCP, my service break would be longer than the calculated relevant period. Not too fussed about the commutated lump sum as long as it's a monthly deduction, not a cheque for xx,000!
Edit: From '138 it looks like, should I rejoin, I won't have to pay the SCP, my service break would be longer than the calculated relevant period. Not too fussed about the commutated lump sum as long as it's a monthly deduction, not a cheque for xx,000!
Last edited by Willard Whyte; 2nd Feb 2018 at 08:53.
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Good luck WW and I hope for a good outcome for you
https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...Accessible.pdf
https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...Accessible.pdf
Why should your pension be affected.
Your original contract with the RAF required you to serve X number of years and then you would be entitled to a pension, deferred of otherwise. Should you come back BECAUSE THEY WANT YOU, then they should pay you the rate for the job and leave your pension alone. It's a different contract!
I worked for civilian helicopter company and on my retirement they were strapped for pilots so I continued as a contract pilot. A different pay arrangement because they did not have to pay my pension or NI contributions. There was no question of my company pension being affected. I had the option of chucking it in if I felt like it but they had the option of showing me the door if they didn't want me.
I did this, on and off, for eight years.
Your original contract with the RAF required you to serve X number of years and then you would be entitled to a pension, deferred of otherwise. Should you come back BECAUSE THEY WANT YOU, then they should pay you the rate for the job and leave your pension alone. It's a different contract!
I worked for civilian helicopter company and on my retirement they were strapped for pilots so I continued as a contract pilot. A different pay arrangement because they did not have to pay my pension or NI contributions. There was no question of my company pension being affected. I had the option of chucking it in if I felt like it but they had the option of showing me the door if they didn't want me.
I did this, on and off, for eight years.
Ive just turned 60, so they probably would not want my aching limbs back in Blue (or is it green now?) But in any case, even if they recalled me - I think I'd last just a few minutes before I'd say what I thought.
I am too used to being a senior manager, making my own decisions and turning my own wheels to be placed 'under orders'...for anyone, again.
I am too used to being a senior manager, making my own decisions and turning my own wheels to be placed 'under orders'...for anyone, again.
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This sort of thing was common in the days of National Service.
In 1955-6, on my Air Radar Fitters course, half the class were national servicemen, all of them had degree's.
The theory of the time was that they had shown an aptitude for learning, so the RAF could teach them what ever the RAF needed.
One of the NS guys had a PhD, in Zoology!
In 1955-6, on my Air Radar Fitters course, half the class were national servicemen, all of them had degree's.
The theory of the time was that they had shown an aptitude for learning, so the RAF could teach them what ever the RAF needed.
One of the NS guys had a PhD, in Zoology!
Well I’m off to the Singapore airshow on Sunday. Business class flight and a pretty fine hotel overlooking Hooters. Will the RAF offer me the same? No, don’t bother answering.
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Well you might get sent to hot places and spend a lot of time with a bunch of tits, so you will get a similar experience.