HOUSING
THOSE BARRACK DAMAGES W
hen Service personnel move out of Service Families Accommodation (SFA)
or Substitute SFA (SSFA) in the UK, they may be charged for damages or deficiencies that fall outside the heading of fair wear and tear. Or it may be that occupants have not prepared the property to the correct standard.
As of 1 Oct 13, a process for taking charges direct from the serving persons pay was introduced.
How the revised process works • At the Move Out appointment, personnel will be informed of any rechargeable damage and deficiencies via Statement of Charges form Alloc 015 for SFA or the Occupant End Certificate for SSFA.
• On receipt of the Alloc 015 and relevant documentation for SSFA, the DIO Ops Accommodation Licence Team at RAF Wyton will send notification to the Service personnel stating that the charge will be taken direct from pay.
• Personnel will have 14 working days of receipt of notification to lodge a dispute.
• If no dispute is lodged the charge will be taken direct from pay (through JPA). A payment plan will be automatically calculated by JPA if the charges exceed a set percentage of pay.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS How can I reduce the likelihood of being charged for Damages and Deficiencies at Move Out? You should look after your Service home during the time you live in the property, ensuring that you, your family, pets and visitors do not cause damage. Service personnel moving out of UK SFA/SSFA should ensure they prepare their home to the required Move Out standard. This includes repairing minor damage such as excessive picture hooks, removing all possessions/rubbish, cleaning the property and fixtures/fittings and cooker and ensuring the garden is left in a maintained and tidy state. For
www.raf-ff.org.uk
SSFA, during your occupancy you should raise any issues immediately with the MoD contractor to ensure remedial action, if appropriate, is completed. Guidance and information is available on the SFA website at
www.gov. uk/defence-infrastructure-organisation- service-family-accommodation#moving- out which includes information about the Pre-Move Out Advisory Visit.
SFA customers in England and Wales may also wish to consider the Pre-Payment Cleaning Scheme (PPCS), which is the only cleaning scheme to guarantee your property will meet the Move Out standard. Details about how to obtain a no obligation quote can be provided at the pre move out visit.
What if I dispute or disagree with the charges at Move Out? For SFA, you should sign the Statement of Charges (Alloc 015) and write ‘Charge Disputed’ by your signature. For SSFA, you should sign the OEC with the relevant tick box confirming your intention to dispute some/all of the deficiencies. You should then follow the process outlined in DIN 2013DIN01-188.
Can I avoid the charges if I or my proxy don’t sign the Statement of Charges document?
No, action to recover the charges will continue to be taken even if you or your proxy don’t sign the document. Therefore, you or your proxy should sign the document, write ‘Charge Disputed’ by your signature and follow the dispute process outlined in the DIN.
My proxy signed the Statement of Charges document and I disagree with them., what happens in these circumstances? Proxies should be trusted and carefully
Will any charges be taken from my pay all at once?
Any charges taken from pay will follow MoD guidelines on the total amount that can be deducted from pay in any one month. Therefore, these charges will be treated like any other debt you owe to the MoD. If you have any specific concerns please speak to your local admin office.
Isn’t this just a revenue raising exercise?
No. This process is being introduced to ensure that charges raised are recovered more effectively. All Service personnel and their families are required, as part of their Licence to Occupy, to look after the Service home provided to them. Every instance of damage or failure to prepare a property to the correct standard of cleanliness means that the MoD incurs costs to prepare the property to a suitable standard for the next Service family. Charges merely recover what the MoD is charged for putting these failures right. It is in the interests of all Service personnel to look after Service accommodation for the benefit of other families who may follow them into a property and to avoid being charged damages and deficiencies at Move Out.
Why is the MoD taking this course of action?
This new process is designed to be more efficient in recovering costs incurred by the MoD. Furthermore, a proportion of Service personnel continue to fail to pay charges for damages and deficiencies raised against them. This increases administrative costs and has meant that a large amount of money continues to be outstanding from serving personnel. It is only fair that families who cause damage or fail to prepare their property to the correct standard bear the cost of their actions or inactions.
Envoy Winter 2013 33
The MoD has issued new guidance for Service personnel on the revised charging processes for damage and deficiencies for UK SFA and SSFA – these were previously referred to as barrack damages. Here DIO explain the detail and what it means for Service personnel.
chosen as they are acting on your behalf in all aspects of the Move Out appointment. If you wish to dispute the charges you would be required to provide evidence and explain why you think the changes are not appropriate and this could be more difficult if your proxy accepted the charges.
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