Armed Forces Personnel - tell the MOD about its effect on your finances.

cwodavids

If you are after mass exposure for the MoD then can I also suggest Pprune.org.uk and ARRSE.co.uk. You will get a LOT more feedback there.

Regards

C

cwodavids

Andy_L wrote: »

AIUI the theory is that, if the cost of living is higher in foreign country X then, in the UK the sgt would have been maintaing a higher standard of living due to the higher salary and will thus have to spend more than the cpl to maintain that higher standard of living in country X

inforeq wrote: »

In response to Si_M.

Where I am going with the mess is - if he/she is late with the payment (regardless if on course etc) then you can expect to obtain extras. The monthly fee is ridiculous, his normal standard month is around £40 and then there is summer balls etc to pay for in advance. For that £40 a month, what does he get, nothing, it goes to "mess funds". Then theres the tea and toast fiasco, £1.25 a week for the privellage (if you want it) to go and have it on a morning, this should be optional, but its not. Mess dinners or ladies dinner nights which are "compulsory" in many units, if he wants to take his wife for dinner then take her, not to sit with 200 odd others and listen to people waffle on and have to ask for permission to go to the loo and you have to pay for the privellege of being ordered to these dinners (another drain on the soliders finances).

Then there is the issue of the mess is known and "Sgts and W0's mess", the SGT pays less than the Warrant Officer. Yes my husband has accepted several ranks over the years but has deserved the promotions, as you would do in civvie street. When you get a pay rise or promotion in civvie a proportion of the money is not taken straight off you, in lieu of an elite boys club.

The mess should be an optional extra when you are in the army, its an elite boys club and a drain on the soliders pay.

I think you have totally missed the point. The "mess funds" you are on about are for such things as TVs, Couches, mess improvements, newspapers every day, coffee machines, smokers areas outside, pool tables etc. These are not paid for out of the public purse.

And for the record there are NO compulsory functions, your husband just needs to stand up for himself more and say no. The permission to go to the loo is something called tradition, its what a lot of customs originate from. Again if your husband needs to go then he can go, he just has to stand up for himself! The mess is for the use of all Sgts and above, it is an option, refuse promotion.

Stop whining about something that has been the way it has for years and that benefits ALL mess members, your hubby can't have it all ways. I am sure he uses it for a beer at the bar and the occassional meal.

zyonchaos

inforeq wrote: »

If you are impling that my husband is a liar about last man standing, you had better get your facts straight, I was actually in attendance.

This forum was set up for moans about finance and anything else which is relevant to HM Forces etc, the mess (particularly this one) is a serious drain on a families resources. As for xmas balls etc, this year is immaterial as he should have de-kitted etc prior to this, but to be honest £240.00 per couple (no drinks involved either) is an extreme amount for a night out.

It doesnt matter whether you were there or not it doesnt mean that he didnt have to take part. It was a choice, as has been said your hubby needs to stand up for himself. If you are stressing that much about a function that will cost £240 dont go its simple. I have paid to attend functions and have always been happy with what I have paid for. But it was still my choice to pay that money.

Regardless of what is said, your hubby cannot be forced to attend any function or beer call. So he needs to stand up for himself

RobbyNL

When stationed at RAF Coltishall near Norwich I was told my Unit did not exist as the Post Code did not come up on the computer- which company was this - NORWICH UNION the office was 8 miles from the base! Once I explained this I was told that they did not insure Servicemen- when I asked to speak to the supervisor I was told it was company policy! My blood was boiling.
When I later tried to get a mortgage the Bank wanted 2 different utility bills to prove my identity Mobile phone bill was not acceptable and all I had was TV Licence - what no Electric Bill, Gas Bill, Telephone Bill or council tax? NO I live in a mess and all is provided within my rent- this caused a two week delay in getting the mortgage- and that was quite good i'm told! It is a curse to live on camp because your credit rating is zero and you cant do a damn thing about it. Despite being well paid it is near impossible to get credit if you live in a number of different blocks/messes and don't have any proof of residence.

If you served in Northern Ireland that is a whole different bag of nails- car insurance from Naafi was a complete rip-off and then they didn't provide airside cover - and we were an airfield so in effect we were not insured 95% of the time!

Do you want more examples?

mrsdarbs

RobbyNL wrote: »

If you served in Northern Ireland that is a whole different bag of nails- car insurance from Naafi was a complete rip-off and then they didn't provide airside cover - and we were an airfield so in effect we were not insured 95% of the time!

Do you want more examples?

That must have been dear old Aldergrove? The only decent thing about NI is that the army will reimburse the extra car insurance cost for living here - last year that was over £300 for us.

But living in NI is just a completely different ball game altogether! :rotfl:

Experian_company_representative

The CRAs worked with the MOD a few years ago to produce a guide for service personnel and their families on credit checks and credit scoring. You can find it here: http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/WhatWeDo/Personnel/SFTF/AdviceForServicePersonnelAndTheirFamiliesHowCreditCheckingWorksIncludingCreditCardPurchasesByPhoneAn.htm
James Jones

vicky_wow

One thing that annoy's me is the over 37 package. As a singlie over 37 years of age I am not entitled to free accomodation, however, the married unaccompanied personnel are.

In the base that I live in we have the bizarre situation that the married unaccompanied personnel live in the new expensive SLAM blocks with the singlie's living in the old blocks as it is approx £600 more for the new accomodation.

Surely this is discrimination against single personnel? How can this be fair?

Andy_L

vicky_wow wrote: »

One thing that annoy's me is the over 37 package. As a singlie over 37 years of age I am not entitled to free accomodation, however, the married unaccompanied personnel are.

because, as a singlie, there's no requirement for you to maintain 2 households.

helsee

i dont have any issues with the army and how it affects our finances. Im of the view you take the rough with the smooth and make the best of it1 Sometimes i think people become too reliant on the army and expectations are too high. I actually find the system pretty generous.....maybe a little too generous given the pressures and economic climate we are in!

Si_M

helsee wrote: »

i dont have any issues with the army and how it affects our finances. Im of the view you take the rough with the smooth and make the best of it1 Sometimes i think people become too reliant on the army and expectations are too high. I actually find the system pretty generous.....maybe a little too generous given the pressures and economic climate we are in!

How do you make the most of having a bad credit rating, by paying higher interest rates? or being unable to secure a good mortgage deal?