Capped Actuals
 

During CAS's recent tours around the stations, it was intimated that the bureaucracy surrounding JPA and Capped Actuals would be reduced, does anyone know if the paperwork trail is going to be reduced with capped actuals and if so, when?

I would also be intrested to know how the admin staff around the stations are coping with the extra paperwork created by capped actuals. I know it's a pain for the aircrew and groundies where I am how are the truckie fleet finding it?

No idea. The only thing capped in the sandpit are the oil wells:}

Joking aside, it's a real pain and I think even our lord and masters agree. Paper trail is epic and I'm convinced even a 10% audit will take years. I heard a rumour from a mate's mate's wife's neighbour that it may well all come grinding to a halt soon and go to a fixed rate depending on geographical areas. Hostees have something like that don't they? Hey, that sounds rude.........

Been on an ex in the USA for about a week now - total UK personnel involved will reach about 100. The poor DAO is ALREADY up to his ears in receipts. What a stupid system - a poorly implemented idea, and nothing more than an excuse for saving money.

Bring back rates!

RANT OFF

SBG

System at Waddo is now de facto rates.....

In theory, one signature to say you have complied with the rules and no receipts have to be produced (unless you have individual expenditure over the threshold of course)...

I'm no longer in the mob but keep up to date via various ex studes of mine throughout tha bazaars. I'm glad I left when I did as these guys are having to spend hours upon hours sorting out imprests when they should be in crew rest or flying the a/c home - not sifting through a mountain of paperwork and explaining their take on a new system that apparently very few people properly understand.

According to rumour a quick fix was proposed and supported by the upper echelons and very nearly made it; but got vetoed at the last minute by the army. Another reason that I'm glad I left. As i remember it the army very rarely (if ever) used the imprest system, so how they got to veto a system essentially for reducing the admin burden on the RAF makes the mind boggle. Surely this should have been a case of "this is whats happening - any questions", or at very least get the vetoing green 1-2-3-4* to do a week in the life of an AT imprest holder.

Flight Safety, it seems, no longer has the sway or importance it once had which is disappointing from an external perspective.:(

Can you calim individual expenditure over the threshold? I thought that was the idea of the cap. Mind you, I was a bit hacked off when it was suggested that my people were caning the system because they were claiming the full amounts for their rates. Only when it was pointed out the this was because they were actually incurring greater costs than the rates provided for (with receipts) did the criticisms ease off.

It must be an absolute nightmare for those on extended dets. Sonicstomp that sounds very interesting at Waddo.

STH

Apparently the capped actuals will cost upwards of £3 million more per year than the old rates system. So in summary;

1. It costs more
2. It takes longer to administrate by all parties
3. It's almost impossible to understand and keep up with weekly changes
4. Flight safety issues various

apart from 1-4 above it's perfect. :ugh:

STH, Having been on one of the first "long" dets post JPA the capped actuals system is a darn nightmare!!! Mainly saw it on the Aircrew side but guys were so busy filling out the paperwork they were not getting sortie prep done until the main brief was about to start. Not only does this cut down the chances to spot mistakes it also meant delays on some sorties!!! The groundcrew were so engrossed in not losing out on their own cash it was the only subject of conversation when on the line. This is a Flight Safety issue. :ugh: :ugh::ugh: :ugh:

Actuals and Receipts
 

Just to add fat to the fire....... it appears that the JPA ruling on receipts having to be retained for a year may be incorrect. Civil Servants HRMS system insists on 3 years PLUS the current year (iaw Inland Revenue guidance) as well as receipts for expenditure under £5.

Although unit staff may not be interested in auditing your expenditure after a year Hector the Collector may well be (especially all the truckies with their cases of receipts!!!!).

JPA Project staff ascertain they have a dispensation from the taxman but so far have been unable to produce it when asked.

Good mornng EOD Felix, not near the A1 are we?

Anyway you are quite right about that difference between CS and Mil. The application of the 3 year rule is also interesting. Apart from the short term (one year?) potential for audit, the 3 year retention is, as you say, for Hector. Now it is recognised that Hector might conclude that the Chateau Laffite '61 was a bit excessive when Vin d'table d'kwiksave was more in keeping with the spirit of the rules. Hector might then make an assessment that an additional £60 tax be due.

The civil service has said that they, and not the individual, will pay that difference.

If you were paying attention you will have noticed two other features of the example. One it is about alcohol - half a bottle per evening meal - and is clearly not capped.

Curious, one who wrote the rules?








Absolutely nothing to do with the membership of a trades union or not.:}

Why actuals?
 

It was explained, about 6-8 years ago by a 2* that the move from a Rate 1 for an overnight absence was seen as a cash-in-hand perk and had to be stopped.

It particularly affected the MT drivers at Stafford who were on the road Monday-Thursday and slept in their cabs. It gave them a nice little tax-free bonus for anti-social hours and a sweetener given their low pay.

Despite this CHBS came in and they lost their perk. Whereas the previous 'automatic' £50 or so was replaced by the equally automatic £60 odd for a CHBS hotel, en suite, TV etc.

Yes, it was acknowledged to cost more but it was 'fairer' and stopped people getting a tax-free perk.

Many years before that the Strike dictat was that the service would pay for your accommodation (removed the need for a pup-tent at SAC HQ VOQ) but would give you money for food so you were free to chose and eat or not.

Naturally many would chose to spend in a BX and minimise solids input. Now with our new fitness consciousness we are encouraged to fill our faces up to a cap or beyond. Don't you love joined up thinking?

I must say that the whole JPA thing fits in nicely with the general sitch featuring few a/c to play with and even fewer opportunities to score any actuals/rates. We seem to spend more time going for the Green-walled Hilton option - so between that and the time spent eating sand/dust, the closest I get to claiming for anything is hearing you guys saying how difficult it is!! Is it true I could claim up to a fiver (self-certified and no need for a receipt)? - or do I need to ask HR Flight about that? ha ha

I've recently seen a letter to an individual from AFPAA regarding Daily Subsistence. A serviceman has been given authority to claim expenses above the DS limit (£21). The person concerned regularly travels and is accommodated with MoD Civil Servants, who are allowed to claim uncapped DS rates and as a result incurs expenditure in excess of the DS limit. The AFPAA consider that these expenses are 'unavoidably incurred' and has agreed to reimburse expenditure in excess of the DS limit for this individual.

As a serviceman I feel ashamed that I've been driven to this level of penny-pinching trivia and should be grateful I'm not being shot at but I thought it was news worth sharing.:)

I'm currently away on CA for 3 months. Does anyone know if I'm entitled to buy a suitcase to bring home my mountain of receipts at public expense????

Fedex? .

U splitter....:D

All the best mate...c u at pies if ure back/invited/sober...

5d2d

k1rb5

Never mind the case of receipts, it will take you 6 months to complete the forms on JPA; every time you his the wrong key it will say 'Sorry, the session has expired' (Or 'Compooter says NO' as it seems to me). Then the HR people will want to audit every single claim (because they or the system will be bound to be suspicious!).

Good Luck

STH

5d2d
Back in Nov so hopefully so. Looks like I'll still be in front my JPA terminal 'til then though. You have a PM.
k1rb5

Capped Actuals
 

I heard on Friday from a VERY VERY reliable source that we are returning to rates within the next 2 weeks. The penny pinchers agreed on Friday and are giving stations time to absorb the detail and introduce either 25 Sep or 1 Oct. I repeat a VERY VERY reliable source.:ok: :ok: :ok:

So LAC whos mate's girlfriend works in PSF then?