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10 May 2012 : Our Stories in RAF News - Child Benefit Double Blow

Dear Families Federation...  Periodically in RAF News the Federation uses the evidence someone has provided, with their permission, to illustrate a topic of concern. The cases illustrate where the policy is not quite fair or is outdated, or where there is disadvantage purely because that someone is a member of a RAF family. If you have a similar experience  please get in touch so your evidence too can be used influence the debate.

To read, Click on the paged story

 

Child Benefit Double Blow

An unhappy spouse is worried enough to write to ask about the changes to Child Benefit payments. They wonder if the Government is really going to double punish supportive partners of the military who struggle to have careers and make pension contributions by taking away the entitlement to Child Benefit too. They already feel partners are penalised because most are only able to take up minor, low-paid jobs because of moves every 1-2 years – and are certainly not in a position to have two £40k incomes. They believe this is a serious disadvantage when compared to civilians, who can earn more and who will probably get to keep their Child Benefit.

 

 

Is Anyone Thinking about the Children?

A worried mum tells of the issues with her daughter who has had to be taken out of boarding school because her husband's assignment has been reassessed as ‘stable’ from a CEA perspective.  The family accept the reason for withdrawing funding, but are worried about the major and negative impact on their child.  After spending four years in the system the daughter is finding it really hard to settle, is anxious and depressed. This worried mum wants those who make the rules about continuity of education to realise the impact that moving a young child from a secure environment can have on those the system is looking to protect. 

 

Anger over plans for the Games

An angry wife whose husband has spent five years serving with a highly mobile team and has missed important family events. The lady says she didn't mind and they simply got on with it. However, she is now hearing that Armed Forces personnel will be used for the Olympic Games and that the Olympic Committee /Government are saying 'It will be a wonderful honour for serving personnel'. This lady doesn't think so, as yet again, it will be the family left at home.

 

I may be forced to pay back thousands of £ in Maternity Allowance  

A frustrated physiotherapist on maternity leave who may be forced to pay back her maternity allowance, worth thousands of pounds, when her husband is posted. The lady concerned is required to return to work after one year in order to retain the allowance but has been advised there are no jobs available to her in the new location. Her husband has asked to retain the quarter they are in, for the period, enabling her to return to her current position but was told 'no'.

 

Isolated Overseas

As the non-serving partner overseas with her husband, this lady feels isolated and doesn't think the RAF is supporting her family well enough.  She says they felt ill-prepared for the challenges of serving overseas and hadn’t realised it would be impossible to find employment or find language courses or even how difficult it would be to cope with the simplest of routines.

 

Local Authority Housing List

A family who is moving out of the RAF and keen to be allocated Local Authority Housing. They have presented the Local Authority with a 'Certificate of Cessation' issued by DIO as proof that they are no longer entitled to occupy SFA but are very worried that their impending homelessness doesn't seem to be being considered with any urgency by the Local Authority.

 

Damp and Mould

A couple who have encountered endless problems as a result of damp and mould in their SFA.

 

 

Sibling Schooling

A family, who on posting find their two young children allocated to different primary schools fiftteen miles apart.

 

IVF Lottery

A SNCO is frustrated with the NHS. He and his wife had been referred for fertility treatment by the Station SMO (Senior Medical Officer). As a result the couple underwent one course of IVF, funded by the local Primary Care Trust, which offered a maximum of three courses if necessary. His wife became pregnant with the first course. He was then posted and was advised that there was in place ‘reciprocal agreement’ between Trusts for further IVF treatments if necessary. Unfortunately, the couple lost the baby they were expecting but when, some months later, they enquired at the new Trust about a further treatment they were refused. The new Trust saying that they 'had had their go’.

 
 

Note from the Federation: Although in this particular case, the PCT did agree to provide funding for the family, it is apparent that the ‘postcode lottery’ continues and with so many pressures on funding across the NHS matters may become even more difficult in the future. Although current guidelines issued by NICE recommend up to three cycles of IVF are offered to eligible couples (where the woman is aged between 23 and 39) we know that many PCTs simply cannot afford this and have subsequently added further criteria. This means many more couples are now not eligible. We believe the additional criteria coupled with the need for Service families to be mobile is likely to have a direct impact on some families. The Federation will, of course, continue to highlight these issues to the government to ensure that the challenges faced by Service families remain high on their agenda.

 

Going Solo

A Serviceman lost his wife a couple of years ago and realised he needed to plan care for his three young children during deployments.  His family could only give limited help. He could go for Preferential Treatment.  He also explored childcare options and even considered placing the children with foster carers, but struggled to imagine the impact of this on both himself and his children. He knew he could opt for compassionate discharge, but wondered if this was the only way forward. He wanted to bring the situation to the Federation's attention and could consider the policy implications of a widow/widower left with small children yet keen to meet all their military obligations.

 

 

Thank goodness for the fridge magnet

A Service wife was handed a RAF FF fridge magnet at a Families Day. She took the magnet, little knowing that she would be calling the Federation quite so soon. Her daughter suffers from hypermobility disorder and was suffering minor injuries and fatigue at school. After difficulties trying to liaise with staff the lady withdrew her daughter from the primary school.  Imagine her horror then when she learned that the school had reported her to Social Services for allegedly neglecting her daughter’s social needs.  Her husband was busy on RAF duties and she didn’t know where to turn, so she rang the Federation.

 

 

Falling Foul of the Great Divide

A family who move from Grampian to Oxfordshire during an assessment of their son for autism find themselves having to start the whole process again. Support systems for educational needs are different, transfered reports are not accepted and NHS waiting list places are not honoured. The family said: "It is stressful to move for any Service family, but for a special needs family, it is mind boggling. Being told: 'There are NHS doctors wherever you are sent' doesn't cover it..."

 

It's the Housing Problems NOW that need Sorting Out

An SAC thought someone was having a laugh when he was called hours before the removal men arrived to be told he would have to cancel his move because the new quarter was not ready.  He then discovered it had been flooded months before, the ceiling was down and it required a new kitchen, new carpeting and redecoration throughout, none of which had been started. And no there wasn't anything that could be done...

 

Abandoned in Cyprus by the System  

A family who have followed the flag, find themselves in Cyprus when their eldest son turns 18. Now abandoned by the military system he has no entitlement to square meterage to get his kit home again, no space on the trooper and no room in the SFA when he gets back to the UK.  His mother asks: 'Is this any way to treat the children of Service personnel?'

 

I am Absolutely Petrified

The wife of a serviceman is petrified about what is going on. She worries that after a long commitment to the RAF her husband could lose his job. She worries that he may not even qualify for a full pension if he isn't allowed to reach his full-term exit point.  She fears the Government will change the allowances so we won't get the resettlement money they were counting on to get a mortgage after years of living in SFA.

 

Anger at CEA Review

A Servicemen currently overseas with his family was compelled to use the Boarding School system. He is now faced with a DASA survey he considers biased and implying of a short-term flexibility that does not exist. He is so angry he minded not to complete it.

 

 

I Have Not Prepared Myself

A Corporal who is leaving the Service at his 22-year point has suddenly realised how badly prepared he is for the transition to civilian life. He lost the family home and much of his pension to his wife when they divorced and has since lived in the block. He now has nowhere to go. He also has no job to go to and sees the future he is facing as very uncertain and wonders if the RAF Families Federation can offer him any advice before he actually goes.

 

The CSA - Prejudiced against Service Partners

A Serviceman on an accompanied exchange to the States found his wife's children disadvantaged. The CSA refused to pursue the the children's maintenance saying that they were not able to assist because their mother, the serviceman's wife, was not a UK resident!

 

Crass and Unforgiveable - A Broken Covenant

A wife at RAF Kinloss considers it crass and unforgiveable that RAF serving personnel and their families should have found out about the closure of Kinloss, the lose their homes and jobs without warning, via an announcement in Parliament, broadcast live to the world.

 

'Frozen Pay' really means 'Pay Cut' Doesn't It!

The wife of a member of the RAF speaks out about her concerns when the next pay round is announced. There is already a two year pay freeze in place for most and she is concerned that in real terms this will effectively turn it into a pay cut once charges and cuts in allowances are made.

 

Support to Partners trying to Transfer Jobs? I Don't think So!

A teacher, married to a member of the RAF, find herself in a very frustrating position. On the one hand the Government promises to assist in the transfer of public sector workers on the posting of the serving family member, while on the other Defence Estates Housing policy prevents this from happening.

 

Why Bother? You Have Done Nothing

A Serving members wife has been invited to a Families Federation workshop on the unit but she she sees little point in going. She attended a Federation workshop last year and thinks the Federation have achieved absolutely nothing since then. That coupled with the Defence Review makes her feel that the Federation shouldn't be raising hopes of family life becoming easier.

 

My Child Doesn't Even Get a Goodie Bag

A serving single mum has been deployed on four, four month detachments since her daughter was born. The child has to move school and move house each time so her granny can look after her. There are endless hurdles and a lack of recognition to negotiate but when it came to her daughter not even qualifying for a £1 selection pack when she was away at Christmas she was incensed.

 

Defence Estates Have Me Over a Barrel

A Sgt who feels scammed by Defence Estates. He has a large bill from a Move Out was given no opportunity to make good the items not considered up to standard and now has not recourse to challenge the bill.

 

Dismay at Allowances Package

Two Sqn Ldrs who independently wrote to us, utterly dismayed at the 2010 Allowances package, especially the Home to Duty rate which has been reduced significantly

 

I Am So Angry with MHS

A Sgt who asked MHS to treat the loss of all rings and grill on the her cooker as an emergency because she had a toddler to feed, but who was told by MHS that they would only treat it as a lower priority and that she could ring DE if she had a problem with the rules.

 

I Nearly Lost My CEA

A Sqn Ldr who through a simple misunderstanding of the rules nearly lost his Children's Education Allowance (Board) and pay back £30,000.

 

I Divorced my Wife not my Children

This report is from a frustrated JNCO who feels he is being disadvantaged and denied the right to a family life by MoD policy on the allocation of SFA. 

 

 

Bucks CC Say I Need Clearance from the FBI before I can Help with the Children's Reading.

This report is from a mother exasperated by the hurdles put before her just to be in a position help out. 

 

The MoD Expect me to Kick my Unemployed Son onto the Streets

A SNCO who considers it unfair that his son is suddenly no longer entitled to live in his family home because he has turned 19.

 

 

 

 

 

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