I was thinking about this on the way to work on Thursday. The latest they normally announce is the 19th/20th. I think this is pretty cr@p of the Govt, though. The AFPRB will have made their report and the politicians are just sitting on it because they know it will be bad news and so will wait for a day with some really sh!t news so that this minor bad news is burried.

So much for "increased transparency" - they can't even be straight with their own people...:ugh:

LJ

I understand that they are actually breaking the law as they are failing to provide the statutory notice of rent increases.

Ah well.

JTO

If I was in quarters then I'd 'press to test' on that just to wind up the pencil necks that have sat on this for way too long...

LJ :ok:

Ooooh. Glad I'm in civvy street. 3.3% this year...

I'd thought about the month's notice of charges changes before. However, it depends on how the MOD defines it. Does the change need to be notified a month before 1 Apr when you start "owing" it, or is it a month prior to the last working day of Apr when you actually pay it?

Guess which one my money is on? Do any lawyers, professional or amateur, know? As a landlord, I understand that I have to tell my tenants a month before they start "owing" the money rather than rent payment day.

I thought as a married quarter occupant you do not have the same rights as a tenant renting a house 'normally'. Could this rent rise be covered by that as well? Covenant working wonders, natch.

As a Licensee rather than a tennant we have no rights whatsoever....:(

Just announced.

HM Forces will be exempt from controversial changes to housing benefit - Echelon Wealthcare

BBC R2 said that the Armed Forces exemption is for parents with 'children' who are serving members as opposed to Armed Forces themselves. ie If you are single and retain a room at home with mum & dad, they get the exemption.

Tiger Mate's right.
If your parents are on benefits, then:

If you're a Singly and live with Mam & Dad (rent-free or paying a pittance) at 1st posting, close enough to home, instead of in SLA, then they remain as is for benefits, while you're OOA! (Downside is your OJAR/SJAR will show you up as a possible non-team-player/socialiser)


If you're a Singly in SLA, miles from home, but choose to remain on the electoral register at home (for credit rating purposes), register car at home (for insurance purposes), somewhere to return to while on leave etc, then you lose out!
Mam & Dad are on reduced benefits, or downgrade their house and sell off your bedroom!

Either that or you room share with your parents Student lodger, and can only take leave at home with Mam & Dad during School-Holidays (like the rest of the RAF!) "Mam, What IS that stain on MY Mattress????"

This will lead to a functional Military only during term times as now Singlies will only be able to take leave during school holidays!!!


"Hello, this is RAFP/Med Centre/Fire Section/ATC/JCCC/Aeromed Cell. There is nobody here to take your call at the moment. Please leave a message and we'll call you back after Half Term ..... BEEEEEEP!)



(Or a lodger, and you can only take leave when he returns to his family once/twice a year!)



This may end up being a consideration for PSF's when using QR1027, as they may well be making singlies homeless, as they can no longer return home to Mam & Dad. This will then become a burdon on the Welfare State as they start claiming housing benefit.......! (Only this time a full flat/house as opposed to 1 room at Mam & Dad's (which was their's in the first place!!!!))


Surely Singlies LI should ALWAYS have a right to an actual & usable address outside the wire?
The penalties for a Singly trying to use a work address as a credit rating is appalling. One SAC defaults on a loan and the WHOLE WORK POSTCODE is BLACKLISTED!!!

Whatever happened to the Military Covenant?
Don't Singlies have a right to a Home outside the wire? Or are they just swallowed up and spat out to the welfare state? Not everyone get's married whilst in the Military. Quite a few even get Divorced!

What Divorcee would get a 1-bed flat knowing how much EXTRA green/pink kit they have to store as clothing stores won't take any of it back!!!!



Just HOW WRONG can this policy Be......?

Comments on that kind of thing have been banned for years and the manning offices are very thorough at weeding them out.

Heck, we even have unmarried squadron commanders living in the Mess these days!

So its published, no real surprises!

So a 0.5% increase in X-factor is recommended but not accepted because the department had not budgeted for such an increase..............

X-Factor increase is "under review".

Call me an old cynic, but if it was a decrease of X-factor there would be no such review.

Link, anyone?


ignore....just received from IPP

One percent of a lot is... a lot for the senior officers.
One percent of not a lot is... not a lot for most people and less than a childs family allowance* for most. (*Taken away recently)

A reduction of food charges is very generous considering we are all now on Pay-As-You-Dine negating any 'food charges' being in place at all.

I guess it is the best we could hope for given public spending at the moment, but all things considered, it equates to a pay cut* IMHO.

*Based upon rising energy costs and that almost all servicemen travel well above the average mileage year by year.

Nice to see that your own department fights against a rise in x factor. Good to see the v high priced help getting 1% aswell :ugh: I'm surprised and a little disappointed that those at the bottom of the heap didn't get a little more at the expense of those sitting on the top. :hmm:

The pay rises in the annexes of the report run out at 1.44%, which must therefore include the increase in X-Factor that we are not getting! This makes the report meaningless.