The Federation

PROVIDING AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR RAF FAMILIES

The RAF Families Federation is here to represent the concerns of RAF personnel and their families (spouses, partners, parents, children, siblings). Through in-depth investigation and gathering of facts, we put your views and concerns in front of the people who matter, such as senior RAF staffs and ministers.

The Federation operates entirely outside the RAF chain of command. so we can always promise an independent and confidential service. It is not a charity but is parented by the Royal Air Force Association (RAFA). The RAF FF has its own funding and does not use any resources from RAFA that it does not pay for.

Using the HIVE Information Centres and working closely with SSAFA-FH staff and established Community Development Workers, the Federation contributes to community support by providing 2-way communication between the RAF and its families.

The FF conducts regular visits and workshops on RAF units. Families are kept informed of FF activities via a dedicated website and the Federation magazine, Envoy.

Anyone serving in the RAF together with their respective partner, spouse and/or dependent children is part of a RAF family, whether serving accompanied or not. Parents and close relatives by blood or marriage/civil registration, whose lives are directly affected by the fact that a family member is serving in the RAF, are part of the extended RAF family and therefore entitled to be represented by the RAF FF.

ISSUES, ISSUES

What Sort? How Many? and What Have You Done About Them?

The common theme across all issues we become involved with is a need to to facilitate communication – be that between the Serving person or his/her partner and the chain of command; between a SFA occupant and the staffs at DE or MHS; or between an individual and a welfare support agency.

No problem has yet left us completely flummoxed but we have dealt with some fairly complicated policy issues.

Between us the team of eight at the Federation we have over 110 years of RAF experience from Craft Apprentice to Group Captain, from wife of to ex-wife of!

Our service is confidential so we cannot talk specifics but we can give a picture of the issues impacting on RAF families’ morale. They are:

SFA – Entitlement; Maintenance; Retention; Special Needs adaptations; Treatment of irregular occupants

Support to family during Deployed Ops

JPA - Postings to/from Area of Choice

Lone parents

Unentitled partners

Childcare issues

Welfare support in isolated detachments

Special Needs allowance(s) entitlements

Boarding School entitlements

Family access to UK benefits and allowances during, and upon return from, an overseas posting

Allowances for travel when returning from overseas postings

Access to Dental facilities

Child Support Agency policy

Shared Equity Mortgages

In terms of what we do with this evidence, the Federation’s Chairman, meets monthly with the RAF Community Support staffs to provide feedback. We also send reports to senior RAF staffs.

The Federation’s chairman also meets regularly with the Minister for Armed Forces and, where appropriate, highlights examples of issues impacting on RAF families.

So, if you have an issue and you think it merits inclusion in our database, you know what to do! Write to us, e-mail us via this website, call us on 01780 781650 or come and see us during a visit to your unit. We would love to hear from you – without you, it’s a pretty meaningless existence!

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