RAF officer found guilty of fraudulently claiming £83,000 in school fees.
Memory plays funny tricks [the older I get the better I was] but does not the good Rool Book have a preface [ours did] to the thrust that:
The spirit and intention of these orders is to take precedence over narrow adherence to the letter of the law?
And each section began with: the purpose of this instruction is .......
Hence, for example, I used the Red Dragon Pullman [from Cardif]f and the White Rose [from Leeds] services, 1st class, with car parking included, breakfast on the train inluded, dinner on the return included, and half day subsistence, all because it was cheaper than whatever the current rules said [my faithfull admin king discovered this pleasant way of saving Her Majesty a few bob]. I cannot for the life of me think what the official method entailed: a coach and four and overnight in town, perhaps?
The spirit and intention of these orders is to take precedence over narrow adherence to the letter of the law?
And each section began with: the purpose of this instruction is .......
Hence, for example, I used the Red Dragon Pullman [from Cardif]f and the White Rose [from Leeds] services, 1st class, with car parking included, breakfast on the train inluded, dinner on the return included, and half day subsistence, all because it was cheaper than whatever the current rules said [my faithfull admin king discovered this pleasant way of saving Her Majesty a few bob]. I cannot for the life of me think what the official method entailed: a coach and four and overnight in town, perhaps?
True. Did you know CEA rules were changed to ensure just Officers and the odd anomaly we’re able to claim? One day the press will find us out!! Lol.
True. Did you know CEA rules were changed to ensure just Officers and the odd anomaly we’re able to claim? One day the press will find us out!! Lol.
Atlas
I smell a whiff of porkie pies. Nice try though.
Having said that, 10% of fees is still a lot of money for anyone and can obviously be prohibitive for those on lower salaries. Especially if they have multiple children.
BV
Having said that, 10% of fees is still a lot of money for anyone and can obviously be prohibitive for those on lower salaries. Especially if they have multiple children.
BV
https://assets.publishing.service.go...23.pdf#page600
On a tram without my glasses, but I’m sure this covers most things!
On a tram without my glasses, but I’m sure this covers most things!
Last edited by 212man; 26th Feb 2023 at 11:28.
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OMG, that’s so simple! OH refused to read it just now … she says she had enough of that when at Adastral, and had all the details (as they were) in her head!
Hmmmmm,
Having never claimed it during my time I won't even pretend to know much eligibility and claiming it but I did used to wonder sometimes how people got it- I worked with a spec aircrew (or whatever they are called now) Sqn Ldr who claimed it for his 3 kids who had done 3 consecutive tours at the same station (but different units on the station) and had no chance of being posted anywhere else. Pretty sure the kids were at a school close enough to his home that they could have been taken daily.
There's always going to be loopholes- at the same unit I worked with 4 guys who all lived 30 miles from the station, all were on days permanently so they car shared but they all claimed 60 miles home to duty every day!
Having never claimed it during my time I won't even pretend to know much eligibility and claiming it but I did used to wonder sometimes how people got it- I worked with a spec aircrew (or whatever they are called now) Sqn Ldr who claimed it for his 3 kids who had done 3 consecutive tours at the same station (but different units on the station) and had no chance of being posted anywhere else. Pretty sure the kids were at a school close enough to his home that they could have been taken daily.
There's always going to be loopholes- at the same unit I worked with 4 guys who all lived 30 miles from the station, all were on days permanently so they car shared but they all claimed 60 miles home to duty every day!
Hmmmmm,
Having never claimed it during my time I won't even pretend to know much eligibility and claiming it but I did used to wonder sometimes how people got it- I worked with a spec aircrew (or whatever they are called now) Sqn Ldr who claimed it for his 3 kids who had done 3 consecutive tours at the same station (but different units on the station) and had no chance of being posted anywhere else. Pretty sure the kids were at a school close enough to his home that they could have been taken daily.
There's always going to be loopholes- at the same unit I worked with 4 guys who all lived 30 miles from the station, all were on days permanently so they car shared but they all claimed 60 miles home to duty every day!
Having never claimed it during my time I won't even pretend to know much eligibility and claiming it but I did used to wonder sometimes how people got it- I worked with a spec aircrew (or whatever they are called now) Sqn Ldr who claimed it for his 3 kids who had done 3 consecutive tours at the same station (but different units on the station) and had no chance of being posted anywhere else. Pretty sure the kids were at a school close enough to his home that they could have been taken daily.
There's always going to be loopholes- at the same unit I worked with 4 guys who all lived 30 miles from the station, all were on days permanently so they car shared but they all claimed 60 miles home to duty every day!
As for example 2 that is fraud-the H2D form had a clear declaration which precluded that sort of thing, in fact I remember a CM of a Sgt and Cpl for exactly that; that said latterly they did change the rules to allow passenger mileage claims for H2D.
Interesting to see the H2D crop up. At Scampton in the early 70s, there was a large number of people lived in Saxilby village, private and hirings, the official MT route was a dog leg via Sturton village, 9 miles, but there was a "rat run" which was only 5 miles. Everyone I knew, all ranks, claimed the 9 miles but commuted via the "rat run".
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The RAF once put me in the position where I was posted from Hampshire to Yorkshire but couldn’t provide a MQ at the new station. I applied for a surplus MQ but the best the system could provide was one thirty miles further away from the station I was being posted from, which was pointless. To make it even more difficult I was then given notice to quit the original MQ because of a shortage at that station. We bought our own house in the local area of the new station. Two years later I was detached, then later posted back to the original station and as expected I couldn’t get a MQ there.
I then commuted by car from home on a weekly basis. Because the house we had bought was a very few miles short of the minimum distance for claiming motor mileage (less than ten miles, if my memory is correct) it was at my own expense. However, a colleague in a similar position then asked me to car share and I agreed. I used to drive past my house for another fifteen miles or so and drop him off at his own house, located very close to the Yorkshire base I had been posted from. He could claim motor mileage as my passenger because the distance was just inside the minimum.
It was around this time that I made my decision to leave the service at my 38 point, rather than continuing to a full career at 55.
I then commuted by car from home on a weekly basis. Because the house we had bought was a very few miles short of the minimum distance for claiming motor mileage (less than ten miles, if my memory is correct) it was at my own expense. However, a colleague in a similar position then asked me to car share and I agreed. I used to drive past my house for another fifteen miles or so and drop him off at his own house, located very close to the Yorkshire base I had been posted from. He could claim motor mileage as my passenger because the distance was just inside the minimum.
It was around this time that I made my decision to leave the service at my 38 point, rather than continuing to a full career at 55.
The military know how to look after their people. Living in married quarters (RAN) families were kicked out when sent to fight a war, if you were just going on an extended sea voyage you were OK. Only served as a Supplementary List Officer, nine years, retirement benefit scheme on going back to the civil world returned the payments you had made minus a handling charge. 
I’m not sure if there will be some truth to it. It comes down to your tour length, and I’m pretty sure enlisted assign for 5 years, and isn’t the CEA there for 2.5 year tours? Don’t quote me, though!
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Housing brings to mind one of our guys at Brize, he had finally scraped up enough money to buy a house but was worried over being posted as he would naturally be skint for some time, so he contacted as it was then Innsworth to enquire through our boss and was told no chance of any posting on the horizon, house duly purchased in Carterton and looking forward to moving in... Posted St Athan!
Housing brings to mind one of our guys at Brize, he had finally scraped up enough money to buy a house but was worried over being posted as he would naturally be skint for some time, so he contacted as it was then Innsworth to enquire through our boss and was told no chance of any posting on the horizon, house duly purchased in Carterton and looking forward to moving in... Posted St Athan!
CG
This doesn't just happen in the military. In a civilian job, I was seconded to another office some distance away from my designated base, originally for 4 weeks but turned into 9 months. Terms of service were such that i could claim excess travel milage AND time for travel beyond my normal commute (as I lived further away). Now there were two routes I could take - back roads and suburban routes, which took 15 miles,. but 35 minutes or via the motorway at a distance of 18 miles, but only taking 20 minutes. I of course took quicker route, but after I returned to my normal job, I was visited by an auditor about my 'overclaim' of milage for the time of my secondment (I think it was about £400 in total).
Conversation went 'The distance between A and B is only 15 miles, rather than the 18 you claim' 'Yes but it saved 30 minutes travel time per day' 'But you should have taken the shorter route' ' But then you would have paid me for 30 minutes sitting in the car - and you pay me a lot more per 1/2 hour than £2.70 (4x45ppm). 'But you should have taken the shorter distance - we pay you whether or not you are actually working'.
Eventually an intervention from the Finance Director ended the nonsense
Conversation went 'The distance between A and B is only 15 miles, rather than the 18 you claim' 'Yes but it saved 30 minutes travel time per day' 'But you should have taken the shorter route' ' But then you would have paid me for 30 minutes sitting in the car - and you pay me a lot more per 1/2 hour than £2.70 (4x45ppm). 'But you should have taken the shorter distance - we pay you whether or not you are actually working'.
Eventually an intervention from the Finance Director ended the nonsense
This doesn't just happen in the military. In a civilian job
It's all about different budgets with different managers I think.
MoD civilians in my time had a great time [not] with detachments because "Travel and Subsistence" had nothing to do with financial matters such as overtime [for juniors], long hours gratuity and shift/ weekend/PH allowances.
This in an era when many juniors had to rely on public transport, and many had no telephone. To ask an off-duty observer to turn out at no notice to cover a night shift for a sick colleague, pedalling 10 miles on a sh1tty night, and no recompense, was iniquitous. And yet I never knew of a failure to cover a shortfall. I wonder if today's youngsters would stand for it. In a way, I hope not.
There some grave injustices which simply invited dishonesty, with the inevitable consequences.
MoD civilians in my time had a great time [not] with detachments because "Travel and Subsistence" had nothing to do with financial matters such as overtime [for juniors], long hours gratuity and shift/ weekend/PH allowances.
This in an era when many juniors had to rely on public transport, and many had no telephone. To ask an off-duty observer to turn out at no notice to cover a night shift for a sick colleague, pedalling 10 miles on a sh1tty night, and no recompense, was iniquitous. And yet I never knew of a failure to cover a shortfall. I wonder if today's youngsters would stand for it. In a way, I hope not.
There some grave injustices which simply invited dishonesty, with the inevitable consequences.
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It's all about different budgets with different managers I think.
MoD civilians in my time had a great time [not] with detachments because "Travel and Subsistence" had nothing to do with financial matters such as overtime [for juniors], long hours gratuity and shift/ weekend/PH allowances.
This in an era when many juniors had to rely on public transport, and many had no telephone. To ask an off-duty observer to turn out at no notice to cover a night shift for a sick colleague, pedalling 10 miles on a sh1tty night, and no recompense, was iniquitous. And yet I never knew of a failure to cover a shortfall. I wonder if today's youngsters would stand for it. In a way, I hope not.
There some grave injustices which simply invited dishonesty, with the inevitable consequences.
MoD civilians in my time had a great time [not] with detachments because "Travel and Subsistence" had nothing to do with financial matters such as overtime [for juniors], long hours gratuity and shift/ weekend/PH allowances.
This in an era when many juniors had to rely on public transport, and many had no telephone. To ask an off-duty observer to turn out at no notice to cover a night shift for a sick colleague, pedalling 10 miles on a sh1tty night, and no recompense, was iniquitous. And yet I never knew of a failure to cover a shortfall. I wonder if today's youngsters would stand for it. In a way, I hope not.
There some grave injustices which simply invited dishonesty, with the inevitable consequences.
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When the RAF brought in something called “NMS” (New Management Strategy), in the mid 1980s, finite financial resources were given to local commanders, rather than being held centrally. Essentially this meant that stations had to manage their own budget. Squadron commanders likewise. Responsibility obviously flows downhill (putting it politely).
Because no extra staff were given to manage budgets (and as far as I recall, no financial training was given to existing personnel) this resulted in a great deal of stress and a large extra workload for local units.
Our Squadron boss was seldom seen again - he seemed to spend most of his time in his office, rather than leading from the front.
I remember having a number of consecutive leave application passes rejected, meaning that I had been allowed only a small fraction of my leave allocation in one year. After an AOC’s visit two of us were called into the Boss’s office to explain why we had not taken leave; questions had obviously been asked by his staff. I reminded the Boss that it was because he had personally turned down my leave applications, or at least his signature was on them. He seemed rather embarrassed but nothing more was said.
I later discovered from a flight lieutenant navigator, who had been given responsibility for vetting certain parts of the unit budget, that leave passes had been turned down because money allocated for leave travel had been overspent! So staff leave was being sacrificed to avoid risking embarrassment over further overspend.
It was that same Boss who announced that the unit would henceforth work an early shift and a late shift, to gain maximum usage of the reducing number of aircraft available. After a couple of weeks we all found ourselves working both shifts.
More reasons why I took my option to leave. But at least it worked out well for said Boss, he later made Air Rank.
Because no extra staff were given to manage budgets (and as far as I recall, no financial training was given to existing personnel) this resulted in a great deal of stress and a large extra workload for local units.
Our Squadron boss was seldom seen again - he seemed to spend most of his time in his office, rather than leading from the front.
I remember having a number of consecutive leave application passes rejected, meaning that I had been allowed only a small fraction of my leave allocation in one year. After an AOC’s visit two of us were called into the Boss’s office to explain why we had not taken leave; questions had obviously been asked by his staff. I reminded the Boss that it was because he had personally turned down my leave applications, or at least his signature was on them. He seemed rather embarrassed but nothing more was said.
I later discovered from a flight lieutenant navigator, who had been given responsibility for vetting certain parts of the unit budget, that leave passes had been turned down because money allocated for leave travel had been overspent! So staff leave was being sacrificed to avoid risking embarrassment over further overspend.
It was that same Boss who announced that the unit would henceforth work an early shift and a late shift, to gain maximum usage of the reducing number of aircraft available. After a couple of weeks we all found ourselves working both shifts.
More reasons why I took my option to leave. But at least it worked out well for said Boss, he later made Air Rank.
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