Concessionary Travel Warrants

spinks

My husband is currently on a 5 month posting to Falkland Islands and the arrival information booklet we received states that as a dependent living in Germany I am entitled to one return journey to the UK.

When I went to our movements clerk to enquire how I go about arranging this I was informed that I am only entitled to trooper flights which are on a stand by basis so I may turn up and not even be able to get on the flight.

I was under the impression that these travel warrants work the same as our annual allowance which covers us up to £101 per person towards an airline ticket or our ferry crossing paid for.

Please can anybody confirm what I have been told is correct?

Alias_Omega

Im probably seen to saying this alot these days, but i would take a look at the JSP 752.

This is the backbone to all claims and refer to this. You dont say what service you are in, but im thinking Army. So you can post this up an ARSSE if you require more in-depth info.

Regards,

AliasOmega

phillip3153

04.1515

. Use of Eurostar, Eurotunnel and Sea Ferry Services. Immediate

family based in Europe



1 are authorised to use the methods outlined in sub-paragraphs

04.1515a



and 04.1515b as an alternative to reliance on the AT flights. The following

principles are to apply:

a. Travel from the overseas base in Europe to Eurostar and Eurotunnel rail
stations or sea ports is at public expense (warrant/Service arranged tickets,
MMA at CLR, bus and/or taxi fares).
b. Eurostar, Eurotunnel or ferry travel is to be in standard class.
Reimbursement of fares is to be on an actual basis. The imposition of any
criteria relating to time of travel (thus the price of the ticket) may, through Front
Line Command authorities, be delegated to unit level.
c. Travel between the point of entry in to the UK or the channel ports and
the final destination in the UK is authorised at public expense (warrant/Service

arranged tickets, MMA at CLR, congestion charges, bus and/or taxi fares).

d. The notional cost of a CTF flight cannot be claimed in conjunction with
reimbursement of Eurostar, Eurotunnel or ferry costs.
e. Night Subsistence (NS) may be claimed, within the overall cap, for
necessary overnight stops during the CTF journey back to the UK and the
return to the overseas station in Europe. NS will not however be paid for any
more than one night in the same location on the homeward or return leg of the
CTF journey. This does not preclude a longer stop at any one location but the
costs of extended overnight stops must be met by the travelling family
members, and may not be claimed from public funds.
04.1516

. Use of Civil Air Travel. The use of civil air as an alternative to AT is

authorised either where no AT flights are provided from/to the overseas theatre in

which the immediate family is based, or where it can be proven that civil air would be
demonstrably cheaper for the return journey, when the whole journey is taken into
account. In assessing the comparative costs of each journey by civil air against the
notional AT journeys, the CTF rates published in the annual MOD SP Pol Allces
Directed Letter "Rates of Entitlement for Allowances for Service Personnel" should be
used. The current CTF rates are also at

Chapter 1 Section 6. The cost comparison

is to be made as follows:

a. From the duty overseas base to the overseas civilian airport (cost of
warrant/Service arranged ticket or MMA at CLR), plus the CTF rate (based on
the GYH(O) rates), plus the cost of travel from the civilian airport of arrival in the
UK to the final destination in the UK (cost of warrant/Service arranged ticket or
MMA at CLR) and return.
against,
b. From the duty overseas base to the overseas AT departure airport (cost
of warrant/Service arranged ticket or MMA at CLR), plus the notional cost of the
AT flight from that overseas theatre, plus the cost of travel from London to the
final destination in the UK (cost of warrant/Service arranged ticket or MMA at
CLR) and the return.
Where the total return journey cost at paragraph 04.1516a is less than those at
paragraph 04.1516b the use of civil air may be authorised and the full costs of a
standard economy air fare refunded. Where the total return journey cost at paragraph
04.1516a

is greater than at paragraph 04. 1516b, the use of civil air may be authorised
but the total refund entitlement will be capped at the figure at paragraph 04.1516b.

Copied from JSP 752. Further advice/how to claim should be sought from unit HR staff.

If you have specific advice about how you are travelling etc PM me and I will try to help.

debtfreein2009

Hey spinks

I can't really add much I'm afraid, but I thought the entitlement had increased from £101 to £125. This is the maximum they'd pay so if your flights are less, then you'd jut get the price paid back. I'm pretty sure the change happened before August some time last year. We claimed the using this new rate and it went through an audit before being paid without a problem.

spinks

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I did find those relevant paragraphs in the JSP 752 which confirmed what I originally believed. I contacted my Welfare with this information to see what they would do for me and they said they have checked with the SFA(?) who has confirmed I am only entitled to trooper flights because my husband is not on an operational tour but is attached to another unit in the Falklands.

This sounds absurd to me because my husband is RLC so is always attached wherever he is which includes Germany but that doesn't stop us getting the same benefits as everyone else.

frugal_matelot

Its the amazing thing about the Falklands. If you want something they say you can't have it because its an operational theatre, but then, when you find something else that makes you entitled because it is an operational theatre you get told its not. These people think its their money I'm sure. My advise is to take the relevant sections of the JSP into whatever admin section you can and let them point out the bit that says you are not entitled.

spinks

I have looked again at the Falklands information booklet and it clearly states in b&w this is an operational theatre.

There is however no notice anywhere to state that any of the information contained in the booklet does not apply to attached personnel so will be taking this up with them again as I think this is a case of the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

Thanks again guys.

Trying_to_be_good

From memory, the extra concessionary travel warrants to the UK are part of the Operational Welfare Package/Deployed Welfare Package (can't remember which it's called now) - so it's only deployments/attachments to areas attracting the Package that get the extra warrants.

Found this online (http://www.rafcom.co.uk/family_sep/dwp_eligible.cfm):

Personnel will be eligible to receive the DWP if they are deployed on one of the following:

• Operations overseas, expected to last for 2 months or more, with a designated name and under the operational command of Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ), for which a CDS directive has been issued.
• Maritime deployments, outside UK home waters, expected to last for 2 months or more.
• Other operations, exercises and deployments overseas but outside North West Europe, which, are expected to last for 2 months or more, by formed units and/or individual Service personnel under the command of either NATO, PJHQ or the single-Service Commands.

And this (http://www.rafcom.co.uk/family_sep/dwp-conn.cfm):
Families Concessionary Travel
Families of married accompanied personnel stationed in the UK but deployed for 4 months or more are entitled to 2 extra warrants (or Motor Mileage Allowance (MMA) at the Converted Leave Rate (CLR) in lieu). This is to enable their families to visit their parents, parents-in-law or nominated Next of Kin/Emergency Contact in the UK.

The families of married accompanied personnel stationed overseas but deployed on operations elsewhere overseas for 4 months or more, will be eligible to the following number of return journeys to the UK at public expense provided the family remain at the overseas duty station other than for these eligible journeys:

Length of Detachment/Number of Return Journeys to UK
4 Months or more (but less than 6 Months)/1 return journey
6 Months or more (but less than 9 Months)/2 return journeys
9 Months or more (but less than 12 Months)/3 return journeys
12 Months or more/4 return journeys