34 NAVY NEWS, NOVEMBER 2010 News and information for serving personnel


Y THE time you read this the Government will have made its initial announcements on the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) and the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), writes Jane Williams of the NFF.


We will be highlighting the news as and when we receive it on our website www.nff.org.uk and our magazine, Homeport, will carry a four-page centre pullout on the headline announcements and what it may mean to you. Even with SDSR on the horizon there is still a huge amount of information to keep up to date with...


Defence Secretary’s Speech at the Conservative Party Conference – Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox addressed the Conservative Party Conference in October 6.


Birmingham on


Armed Forces and the support of their families.


establishment of a tri-Service Military Covenant (Armed Forces Covenant).


The Minister also highlighted recent developments for Service families; children of those killed on operations since 1990 will be eligible for free scholarships for higher education, and a dedicated 24-hour


launched,


mental health nurses provided in Mental Health Trusts to ensure the right support is available for personnel and veterans. Dr Fox’s closing statement was


support and


30 additional line will be including the He praised the hard work of our


He discussed activity in Afghanistan and outlined plans for the future,


Forces Personnel, their families and colleagues who have moved into the veterans community. Speakers covered specific areas to welfare,


relevant recovery capability,


‘We will not let you down’ B


from the forces into civilian life, the Armed Forces Covenant, veterans’ mental health issues and the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.


Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, Andrew Robathan MP, was one of the speakers at the conference, this is what he said: “This government has pledged to treat Service personnel, their


and former Service personnel with fairness and dignity. “The Armed Forces Covenant will be the foundation of how our nation treats the Armed Forces community and will guide policy across government.


was asked to trawl for innovative ways to make the Armed Forces Covenant a reality. “They’ve recently presented their findings to the External Reference Group for consideration and a final report will be sent to the Prime Minister shortly.” “We’ve said we’ll deal with the


as follows: “To all those who serve in our Armed Forces, to all those who have served in the past, and to all of the families that support them, I send a simple message from all of us to all of you – thank you.


invisible wounds of war as well as the visible ones. “On


Government is clear that extra support will be provided to those who need it. “The Prime Minister has asked


“We will not let you down.” A message from NFF Chair, Kim Richardson: We will hold you to this Minister – watch this space, families! ■ The Fourth Welfare Conference: On September


and speakers from a broad spectrum came together to attend the Fourth Welfare Conference. The aim of the conference is to unite representatives from the Government, public sector and voluntary sector to discuss and learn about Welfare for Armed


21 delegates mental health, the


Dr Andrew Murrison to look at the relationship between the NHS and the Armed Forces community, paying particular attention to mental health of former Service personnel.” Mr Robathan also paid


tribute to the private companies, charities and other Government departments who help in the welfare


Service personnel. From the Department of


and rehabilitation of


Health, Claire Phillips took the stand to talk about what is being done for veterans when it comes to the transition period between Service in the Armed Forces to


“Earlier this summer a task force families The Minister for Defence


including transition


“Specific commitments like this are just the beginning.


● Minister for Defence Personnel Welfare and Veterans Andrew Robathan at the MOD Welfare Conference


life out of uniform, as well as the mental healthcare being offered to those who need it. Ms Phillips said:


22,000 trained Service personnel transfer to the NHS every year, and, from the day they leave the Armed Forces, that’s when an individual becomes the NHS’s responsibility. “Obviously we have an interest


in what happens to them before they leave so that the transition from care in the Armed Forces to the NHS when they come up to leave is very important indeed. “Transition is a very important time and we have actually developed a transition


care protocol and that applies in all four administrations across the United Kingdom and we are currently piloting that and working with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services.” Ms Phillips continued: “We are doing a lot of work with the NHS Armed Forces Network, which is being set up throughout the department and its offices so that each strategic health authority now has a military healthcare lead. This is actually quite a step forward. “Most of


already been launched, but it’s still early days. “The Department of Health


has funded them to do that this year and one of the things we need to think about is how we take that forward as the emerging new structures take place in the NHS.”


the networks have to NHS “About


go to the NFF website: www. nff.org.uk and follow the


from ‘Breaking News’ or in the ‘Health’ section. ■ Free Will Month Will Aid is a UK wide


scheme, which runs every November, to offer free wills to people of any age. Will Aid teams up with


over 1,000 solicitors to provide basic wills, and whilst there is no set fee it is hoped that you make a charitable donation in return.


links


activity is registered with Ofsted or one of the MOD-accredited childcare registration agencies (British Forces Early Years Service (BFEYS) and SSAFA Forces Help).


This includes the part of boarding school fees above the cost of the compulsory element of education.


More information is available through the website www. modchildcare.co.uk. ■ Can’t afford to get on the housing ladder?


The HomeBuy Scheme, launched on April 1 2006, enables eligible key workers and first-time buyers to buy a share of a home and get a first step on the housing ladder.


Regular Armed Forces


personnel (including Military Provost Guard Service), MOD Police, Defence Fire Service and clinical staff in MOD medical establishments have been granted Priority Status to access the Government Affordable Housing Programmes across all regions in England.


Shared equity products are


available. There are a variety of schemes including: New Build HomeBuy, HomeBuy Direct and Intermediate Rent Scheme. The Affordable Homes programme is run on behalf of the Government by ‘HomeBuy Agents’. These are housing associations (otherwise known as Registered Social Landlords or RSLs) that run the programme in their area of the country.


register


Suggested donations are around £75 for a single will, £110 for a couple, and £40 for an amendment – much less than it would normally cost. For more information on the scheme, and to find a participating solicitor, visit their website: www.willaid. org.uk. ■ BFPO Posting dates If your loved one is


overseas this Christmas please see British Forces Post Office (BFPO) website for closing dates and any content restrictions: http://www. bfpo.mod.uk/latest_dates_ posting.htm ■ The Woodlands Garden Trust This is a project being


undertaken by 45 Commando Royal Marines to provide a focal point for remembrance and reflection at Royal Marines Condor – home of the 800-strong unit. The Garden will provide


The conference was closed by the newly-appointed Chief of General Staff, General Sir Peter Wall, who spoke of his admiration for all the work being done to improve the lives of Service personnel.


acknowledgment to the strides taken over the last five to ten years in delivering aspirations into


concluding successful


keep the Service people and their families and indeed all of those, including you, who support them, at the top of our agenda”. The NFF Chair,


Richardson, was one of the delegates at the conference; she observed that the focus was very much on serving personnel and veterans and she would like to see a families’ perspective next year. She asked for user feedback


Kim that “We policy, need


finally to


giving


He commented on the “complex web of Services issues and mechanisms which make up the welfare challenge for us in the Armed Forces”


space for the Commando, family, friends and supporters to reflect, remember and contemplate, but hopes to strike the right balance of sadness and celebration with an area for children, some of whom have lost fathers. It will also provide an invaluable tranquil space for personnel to decompress


operational tours. The project is very timely given the operation burden of the Unit. The Commando will soon for


deploy


Afghanistan since 2002 and has also seen action in Iraq during this time.


● Surgeon Vice Admiral Philip Raffaelli, Surgeon General, listens to speakers at the MOD Welfare Conference


Pictures: PO(Phot) Mez Merrill


next year on the initiatives that were discussed on this year’s agenda – not only from serving personnel, but families too. Andrew Murrisons report, Fighting Fit: a mental health plan for servicemen and veterans has been released. For more information please


will be a large piece of granite, engraved with the names of all those from the Commando that have been killed in action since 1971 – to honour those who gave their life in the Northern Ireland conflict and the Falklands War. The Woodlands Garden is an ambitious project, which has stirred considerable interest – BBC’s Gardeners’ World presenter Toby Buckland has given the project his backing and volunteered to design the garden.


At the heart of the garden its fourth tour of and adjust after a serving


your area. Interested


visit: www.bmycharity.com/wgt. ■ Childcare Voucher Tax Savings Do you take advantage of the


tax savings to be had from the Armed Forces Childcare Voucher Scheme? Over 5,000 Service personnel


save themselves a total of over £4 million each year through the scheme.


But the rules are changing. Gordon Brown’s last gasp was to remove the additional benefit enjoyed by higher-rate taxpayers. He announced at his party conference last year that all the savings from the scheme would go, but there was such an outcry, including a strong letter from the Service Families Federations, that he relented.


But the higher-rate savings are going for anyone joining the scheme after April 1 2011. At present, anyone can take up to £55 per week of their salary in the form of childcare vouchers and not pay Income Tax or National Insurance Contributions on that sum. For a higher-rate taxpayer this


generates a saving of up to £1,195 per year. From April 1 2011 this will be reduced for higher-rate taxpayers to a maximum of £28 per week of childcare vouchers (£124 per month), and to £22 per week (£97 per month) for those who pay super tax – not many in the Armed Forces! Those who only pay Basic Rate


Income Tax will not be affected and will continue to be able to take up to £55 per week in childcare vouchers. So, if you are a higher-rate


taxpayer and are not yet in the scheme but are considering joining, do it now, before the rules change.


The aim is for the garden to be completed by October 2011, in order to achieve this the Commando is seeking to raise £150,000 by the end of the year. For more information on the project, and to make a donation,


Remember that you can use childcare vouchers for much more than pre-school childcare. They can be used for a child up to the September after their 15th birthday and can be used to pay for almost any form of supervised activity outside the compulsory element of education, provided that the organiser of that


HomeBuy Agents can your


personnel should


contact the ‘HomeBuy Agent’ who covers the location of your permanent duty unit: www. homebuy.co.uk. For more detailed information visit our website and follow the link to www.mod.uk/jshao and read the fact sheet on the Affordable Homes programme. ■ JPA...


With our work and personal life keeping us busy, remembering to update information on JPA sometimes goes on the back burner.


A comment that we all hear all too often is that the computer system has let us down or crashed at the most inopportune time. However,


interest,


assess your eligibility and provide details of schemes in


computer error


can’t be blamed if the personal information has not been kept up to date and is inaccurate. Just take a moment to consider the consequences of wrong pay or wrong emergency contact details on JPA on you as a family. If you are a serving person


reading this item – ask yourself whether in an emergency or at a critical time whether the details of the person you want contacted are recorded accurately. If you are a family member reading this, please ask your loved one when they last checked the info.


There have been occasions


where this information has been incorrect and has added unnecessary pressure to a family at an already difficult time. Got a query? If you can’t find


what you need on the Portal Page, your unit HR or the JPAC Enquiry Centre are the first points of contact. To contact JPAC, use one of the


following numbers: Military: 94560 3600 From overseas: +44 141 224


3600 Operators are available to take


your call from Monday to Friday; 0700–1900 (UK local time).


■ We need you... Your experiences form the basis of our discussions, to get in touch e-mail: Admin@nff.org.uk,


tel:


02392 654374 or write to NFF, Castaway House, 311 Twyford Avenue, Portsmouth, PO2 8RN.


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