Resettlement = council?

l3ggy

Hi, just wondering if anyone can help, sorry if this is in the wrong forum etc.

My OH is due to leave the army, after 12yr, come sept. We have been on our council list for the past 5yrs but recently updated our detail due to our third child.
We were told, originally, that we would move up the list like everyone else until he got his notice to terminate our SFA. We would then be place in a different priority.
We have just sent off a 6 month notice and they (the council) have come back asking about his entitlement to a resettlement grant!
Our questions are;
What do they mean? education, retraining grant money? or pension money?
I'm led to believe that he can apply for a lump sum out of his pension? but we wouldn't get this until 30 after leaving?
Why do they want to know? we suspect they wish for an excuse to wipe their hands of us?
Any help/advise would be much appreciated.

I have gone from feeling everything is sorted just waiting to progress to a mass feeling of panic at being homeless and without help.:eek:

Also I heard, and for the life of me cant remember or find it anywhere, that councils now have a responsibility in housing ex-forces? can anyone confirm this?

many thanks in advance.

reddoggybag

I think it is the lump sum that your husband will get which is known as his resettlement grant. I suspsect that the reason that the council are asking this is that if you have any money they do not have to house you are you will be expected to rent privately.

Apollonia

Have a look at this thread:

http://www.arrse.co.uk/Forums/viewtopic/t=27622/start=580.html

on the army rumour service website. The man in the know is the user name 'Hitback'. He was instrumental in getting councils to recognise forces personnel time spent in SFA to be considred when applying for a council house.

Have you been in touch with the Joint Services Housing advice office or SSAFA? There is a link on the arrse page above but for convenience for others reading this page here it is:

http://www.ssafa.info/downloads/JSHAO2.pdf

One thing that I have seen mentioned several times on arrse (it is a long thread!) is that you should not move out of the SFA until forced to do so! If you leave when your time is up then some councils consider that you have voluntarily become homeless so wait for an eviction notice - you will be in a stronger position with the council. And don't feel bad about 'illegally occupying a quarter' as it is known, you will not be the only family who have had to do this and the MOD understand why forces families are being pushed into the situation.

HTH

disney2007_2

Hi
My friends relationship broke down and she never left that house until they helped her out. Now she has a council house in York,
I also have my name on the council list in glasgow and got to admit they have been great (the council that is)
Hope everything goes well for you.

l3ggy

Thanks for your advice so far. I've had a quick nose on arrse and there is some good info on there, and I'm going to write to the local MP when I know more or if they do fob us off. The main bit of advice I can see is to stay put! don't go for renting as that will let them off the hook.
Thanks Karen, they were lovely at first too, very helpful. They said if we sent in proof he was coming out and that we would have to leave our home then we would move into a different priority band. so I sent the proof off and now, because someone else has taken over, they are questioning everything.
I know the money would affect our priority but surely it shouldn't affect our status on the list as we not priority now but still on the registrar, they can kick us off can they?
Should I write back telling them he is entitled to get this resettlement money? (as we are undecided whether to have it or not.) and even if we do it wouldn't go far on renting by any means, a few months tops.

l3ggy

Does anyone know someone who got their grant and was able to get council housing too?

Starrystarrynight

Ask your hubby to speak to his admin office to find out if he'll be receiving any resettlement grant. The lump sum from the pension isn't really a grant, it's just a commutation of his pension, so maybe the council mean something different.

Apollonia

l3ggy wrote: »

Does anyone know someone who got their grant and was able to get council housing too?

I could be wrong but I don't believe that the resettlement grant should be considered when applying for social housing. It is not purely for housing needs but also to contribute towards training for a civilian career.

After 12 years service it is not a huge amount anyway. The council is probably thinking of the 'lump sum' (terminal grant) that is available for those who have AFPS 1975 (Armed Forces Pension Scheme 1975) and completed 22 years service. The resettlement grant is not the same as the terminal grant.

Go here:

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/Personnel/Pensions/ArmedForcesPensions/


for a pensions calculator to find your entitlement and what is paid out when.

I think you will find that any significant lump sums for 12 years service will paid at age 65. All sums paid out at this stage are for retraining and to ease the transition to civvy street!

l3ggy

Thank you for all your help and advice.
I managed to speak with someone in the welfare today. And they believe that the council do mean the terminal/resettlement grant given at 22yr.
the pension lump sum is not a grant given by the army as it it taken out of my OH future.
and like Apollonia said any significant lump sums for 12 years service will paid at age 65.

So I can breathe a little easier until they come back with the next question.
Thanks again.

ady_j

Hi,

What do they mean? education, retraining grant money? or pension money?

Without wanting to sound condescending, when they were talking about a 'resettlement grant' maybe they were talking about a 'resettlement grant'. I think you are confusing yourself by bringing the pension into it.

If your OH is on the AFPS75 (old pension scheme) and has served 12 years (above age 18) then he is entitled to a 'resettlement grant' of about £10000 (depending on rank and payband). Not sure about the new scheme, but if you want precise answers, you have to give the information first. Try puting details into the pension calculator http://83.138.137.164:8080/WizDisclaimer.aspx .

I am no expert, but I do not believe it is stated anywhere that you need to be skint to get a council house. Purely conjecture on my part but they may be trying to see whether you are eligible for LHA (housing benefit) as that is means tested.

'Phone them ask them what it is they are talking about and then take it from their. You won't be the first ex-service family they have come across, they'll probably know what your entitled to better than you do (or the infamous welfare who appear to be talking out of their hoop- for a change:rotfl:)

l3ggy

ady_j wrote: »

Without wanting to sound condescending, when they were talking about a 'resettlement grant' maybe they were talking about a 'resettlement grant'. I think you are confusing yourself by bringing the pension into it.

If your OH is on the AFPS75 (old pension scheme) and has served 12 years (above age 18) then he is entitled to a 'resettlement grant' of about £10000 (depending on rank and payband). Not sure about the new scheme, but if you want precise answers, you have to give the information first. Try puting details into the pension calculator http://83.138.137.164:8080/WizDisclaimer.aspx .

Hi Thank you, all advice is appreciated.
Looked at the calculator and he can get £9800 'resettlement' but its not a grant given out by the army, it is taken out of his pension, but its not an automatic payout, he has to decide if he wants to take it out now and apply for it.