Tories are certainly getting stuck into our benefits system...

mitchaa

pop_gun wrote: »

what sector do you work in. private or public and if you feel up to it what is your job title? to be as smug as you are must mean you're sitting in lofty office somewhere, with none of the cares of the world to worry about.

He's public sector, good pension, retires at 37 on around 25% final salary. His rank I believe puts him at around £50k give or take a couple of £k either way. When he leaves, he doesn't neccesarily need to find a job paying as high due to the pension he will be receiving.

I totally understand mbga9pgf's views with him being military. It's a take no prisoners mentality that all those in the military possess, i.e survival of the fittest, you don't get something for nothing logic. In ways, I do agree with him, people should learn to stand on their own 2 feet.

mbga9pgf

he doesn't neccesarily need to find a job paying as high due to the pension he will be receiving.

Mitch, if I am on the same pension terms in 2 years as I am now I will consider myself a very lucky boy... as to being able to live on it, not a chance... the 25% is not including allowances, the government shaft us by accounting a large proportion of our salaries as "allowances". For example, specialist pay is taxed, but not pensionable. Operational allowance is not pensionable either. For those that begrudge the military a pension, ask yourself, when was the last time you were shot at, mortared and rocketted, helped with seriously injured children, dealt fairly regularly with the death of close friends well before their time, not to mention having to operate equipment that due to Labours disgraceful funding, was not fit for purpose (google Haddon Cave and replace the military personnel fingered with senior Labour treasury officials and you wont go far wrong).

The military covenant is not just a phrase. For many in the mob, our (7% of salary contributory) pension is the "putting your money where your mouth is" return on the risk we take during our service lives, as well as a little payback for the disruption we face as military personnel.



However, I will be planning to pick up anothjer job after I leave. I am about to complete my MCAD programming qualifications (self-taught), am currently self-teaching plumbing and electrics for the new home, will be doing free lectures to other public sector and private sector companies starting next year and fully intend to continue developing MYSELF for the day I leave the mob. NO whinging, whineing. For all those that go on about how its all well and good as I am employed at the moment, but outside of my primary role in the mob (away 2 weeks a month typically) I also pull 50 hour plus working weeks when I am at home. We all went to school, some chose to doss around, others worked hard. Well guess what, those that worked hard are now doing well (I include vocational quals in this too btw, "School" is wider than state education), those that didnt are whining about their dole getting cut.

Would I change it? Would I hell. I love work. Its a real shame others cant view work as a means of self-fulfillment as opposed to getting cash in the coffers. Working with other people doing anything (helped during the fire strikes and the south west floods, I have also cleaned out toilets in the field when the local contractors went on strike, whilst unpleasant, was a laugh) gives me an amazing buzz.

pop_gun

mitchaa wrote: »

He's public sector, good pension, retires at 37 on around 25% final salary. His rank I believe puts him at around £50k give or take a couple of £k either way. When he leaves, he doesn't neccesarily need to find a job paying as high due to the pension he will be receiving.

I totally understand mbga9pgf's views with him being military. It's a take no prisoners mentality that all those in the military possess, i.e survival of the fittest, you don't get something for nothing logic. In ways, I do agree with him, people should learn to stand on their own 2 feet.

so the taxpayer is footing the bill for mb to go out there and play soldier. how terribly nice of us. obviously with him being in the military (our boys!) and us being such good souls n' all, why not pay for his education and for him to retire early on a good wedge. and despite all of this when he retires at 37 with an enhanced CV he'll be able to deprive some scrounger of a job they might've be eligible for.

it's amazing what you can do on taxpayer's money. isn't that right mb.

carolt

Oh stop trolling. If people are risking their lives, they deserve to retire early - you don't want an army of 60 year olds with dodgy knees and arthritic elbows etc do you?

Being a soldier is one job it's clearly better to employ younger people for, and equally clear that they deserve extra cash for literally risking their lives. On our behalf.

mbga9pgf

pop_gun wrote: »

so the taxpayer is footing the bill for mb to go out there and play soldier. how terribly nice of us. obviously with him being in the military (our boys!) and us being such good souls n' all, why not pay for his education and for him to retire early on a good wedge. and despite all of this when he retires at 37 with an enhanced CV he'll be able to deprive some scrounger of a job they might've be eligible for.

it's amazing what you can do on taxpayer's money. isn't that right mb.

I think you will find that the military pension is one of the few civil sector pensions that have similar contributions to the private sector (7%). But why help frothing private sector preconceptions get in the way of a good story hey?

I will also think you will find the private sector is actually paying for an insurance policy, one which does far more than afghanistan. Know much about global piracy? Want to hazard a guess as to how much the private sector relies on anti piracy measures with us being the 5th largest exporter in the world? How about aid for countries hit by disaster? Or defence diplomacy.

Of course, stuck in your office paying your tax, you would know ALL about this wouldnt you? Most of what we do you dont even see. Doesnt mean it doesnt add real value for the private sector in the UK though. It does.

SingleSue

pop_gun wrote: »

so the taxpayer is footing the bill for mb to go out there and play soldier. how terribly nice of us. obviously with him being in the military (our boys!) and us being such good souls n' all, why not pay for his education and for him to retire early on a good wedge. and despite all of this when he retires at 37 with an enhanced CV he'll be able to deprive some scrounger of a job they might've be eligible for.

it's amazing what you can do on taxpayer's money. isn't that right mb.

I'm sorry but I just cannot agree with you on this.

Our military services are essential to our well being and deserve every single penny they receive...whilst still in service or after they have left.

I for one, would not like to be dodging the nasties for what is relatively low pay for the amount of risk.

neverdespairgirl

mitchaa wrote: »

He's public sector, good pension, retires at 37 on around 25% final salary. His rank I believe puts him at around £50k give or take a couple of £k either way. When he leaves, he doesn't neccesarily need to find a job paying as high due to the pension he will be receiving.

I don't begrudge soldiers a penny. If anything, they are underpaid. the rest of us don't generally get shot at!

StevieJ

neverdespairgirl wrote: »

I don't begrudge soldiers a penny. If anything, they are underpaid. the rest of us don't generally get shot at!

Do all the military get shot at? I don't know if it is true but it seems the lower the pay after training the more likely you are to be shot at :eek:

carolt

I'm sure not all do, but if it's a risk in the job, then it deserves the extra cash - not a risk I (or most people) would take on happily for free!

chucky

StevieJ wrote: »

Do all the military get shot at? I don't know if it is true but it seems the lower the pay after training the more likely you are to be shot at :eek:

i wonder what the actual percentage of soldiers that actually go into combat in their life times is...

people i've worked with who were ex-officers used to love going on the nordic runs in the snow, they called it a 2 week skiing holiday paid for by the Government...