Totally disgusted

Trying_to_be_good

If you're away from your posting, surely you can claim expenses on JPA? Accommodation, food, IEA etc?

ICATQ

Trying_to_be_good wrote: »

If you're away from your posting, surely you can claim expenses on JPA? Accommodation, food, IEA etc?

Yes you can claim expenses. For each 24 hour period away from your parent Unit you can claim £5 for IE in the UK or £10 outside the UK, if your on duty for courses, exercises etc, not deployments though.

You dont pay for accommodation on courses, but you do pay for food. If it is PAYD you can eat in the facility there or you can go to the take-away or pub if you want, or go to a supermarket and buy food! If you stay in a hotel because there is no service accommodation then you can claim that back.

The various allowance for food all depends on if your away on duty for the day and a host of other circumstances

ICATQ

Geezer_BJ wrote: »

However, the bit that I object to is : I have been sent on a course, not through choice, yet I have to pay for my own food and accomodation.

You would be buying food at your home or home unit? So whats is the difference?

Junior ranks dont pay for accommodation, Seniors pay a messing fee, which I think you can claim back but nobody bothers.

moonrakerz

The present system seems to be an immensely complex way of just wasting money. How many people are involved in the administration of this system ? How much of the Defence Budget does it use ? How many ****-ups are made every week ?

When I was in uniform, food and accomodation were provided as part of your "Ts & Cs". If you were not living in a camp or on a ship but travelling from home everyday you were paid an extra allowance - "Ration Allowance". If you wished to buy a meal whilst at work you could.

This system was simple to understand and operate.

Over the years the system has been tinkered with, innumerable times, to make it "better" - it hasn't !

woody01

er_indoors wrote: »

I have heard today that our soldiers in the UK army now have to pay for their food, 3 meals a day. Now maybe I have this wrong I hope so, but I have been told that these men and women who give their lives for us when they return to thier camps from active service have to pay for 3 meals a day. If they run out of money they can sign a book hungry soldier and will be given food but the rest of their group suffer.

As a mum of grown uo children I find this totally un acceptable surely after what they have been through and seen on a tour of duty they deserve to blow their cash on a few nights out to blot out the horrors of war, should they run short of cash is it fair they should go hungry?
Who in their right mind can expect a rested fit replacement to go back yet again and give their all for us and the Queen when we don't feed them properly.

I do hope I have this wrapped round my head and you will all batter me down, I really hope I am wrong the alternative is just too terrible to imagine.

Please give me your thoughts.

Eh?
On bases this has always been the case.
Its very cheap and the food is good.

The only time food is free is when out on operations/on board a ship.

woody01

moonrakerz wrote: »

The present system seems to be an immensely complex way of just wasting money. How many people are involved in the administration of this system ? How much of the Defence Budget does it use ? How many ****-ups are made every week ?

When I was in uniform, food and accomodation were provided as part of your "Ts & Cs". If you were not living in a camp or on a ship but travelling from home everyday you were paid an extra allowance - "Ration Allowance". If you wished to buy a meal whilst at work you could.

This system was simple to understand and operate.

Over the years the system has been tinkered with, innumerable times, to make it "better" - it hasn't !

Not in the last 15 years.

TREVORCOLMAN

I left a few years ago but I believe the PAYD (or save as you starve) has been brought in at the request of junior ranks.

Jacopo

TREVORCOLMAN wrote: »

Waddington is not PAYD yet (Forces call it: Save As You Starve). Due to come in around Dec 2010.

I understand PAYD was brought in because the junior ranks wanted it. They said they did not want to pay for meals they did not take - i.e. when away at weekends.

My thought is that you should be careful what you wish for.

It will be like eating at Weatherspoons. Fine if you want cheap frozen heated up meals. OK now and then but no good for a balanced diet.

Couldn't agree more. The mess at my current unit is fantastic. Good staff, a good selection and the food is 99% of the time, spot on.

Some people say that when PAYD is brought in, it'll be better because they'll save money. I fail to see how this can be done. Who can guarantee themselves 3 COOKED meals a day (if one chooses to eat 3 cooked meals!) for just over £100 a month? It's crazy!

Where is the problem with the money coming out of your wages at the start of the month and heading into the mess for a meal? Even if you never ate in there at weekends, £100 for 3 cooked meals Mon-Fri is still good.

Mind you, IMO the 'system' is perfect at the moment. The Food charge comes out of my wages, and if I know I'm home at the weekend, bang in a leave pass so I don't pay the food charge for Sat/Sun. Sorted.

It makes me sad to think that the standard I'm currently recieving could be soon akin to that at RAF Halton. Now that would be terrible.

33pelter

I can understand soldiers paying for food, don't want any taking liberties I guess, at least if they pay and budget like the rest of us, they live the same normality and it prepares them for coming back to the UK etc
However, I do not understand the lack of equipment and incredibly low wages the soldiers receive for the great work they do. In recent years the public have been rallying behind our troops and long make it continue!!

Geezer_BJ

ICATQ wrote: »

You would be buying food at your home or home unit? So whats is the difference?

Junior ranks dont pay for accommodation, Seniors pay a messing fee, which I think you can claim back but nobody bothers.

Yes I do buy food at home, but I'm not able to travel back the 450 miles each way to eat what the wife has cooked !!
The fact is every other company I know pays an allowance for being away from home for food and accomodation ... except the MOD. Even the civil servants get it !!
Yes I paid a mess bill, no I cannot claim it back.