Serviceman money problems-advice sought

C_Mababejive

Could you contact SSAFA for support/advice? It might also help with any issues you have with your "employer".

s1lv3rdal5

Speak to your Pay Office, they should be able to help set up regular payments to your creditors.
In the meantime; Do NOT borrow more cash to repay any debt

PaulF81

peteuk wrote: »

I disagree with Paul, Service Man debt should be mentioned. The avarage debt is £20K, so why are service personel exempt from this.....

I ran up £10K debt and then bounched a cheque to the paymaster! I had to reveal my income/expense every month for 12 months following this. Although I was never charged with anything, it did stop my promotion! I sat with the chief Clerk as one of my friends was driving around in a £22K car brought on finance.

Do take this seriously, even though £6K sounds like a small amount. You may find it hard to get finance with little or no credit history. The police (service) may be intersted in your situation, if not your line manager will be.

Because it is unsecured a Debt Mangement Plan will provide little, but do speak to the Citizens Advice. They may be able to help or point you in the right direction.

Good Luck

Advertising you are a service member on a public forum with a reason to be bribed is against a fair few regs that I was aware of whilst I was in. Who knows what they are responsible for?

Go and speak to the old man. This will not be th first time his/her seniors will have encountered this and it is vital the service gets a chance to help them out.

exarmydreamer

The best thing you can do is arrange an interview with your Pay clerk and Pay office or FSA. Take with you a list of debts and to whom and be honest. Also take with you any paperwork relating to any outgoings and extra income, (if any).

I dealt with this a lot, as a pay and discipline Sgt before leaving. Debt is common and some, (not all) soldiers have their pay accounts handled differently i.e, the pay office pay the debt's by cheque from the imprest account, this in turn is taken from soldiers pay at source. You would then receive money by hand (normally weekly) from the pay office, known as a cash paid soldier.

The civilian police will not be interested, but the Commanding Officer and your sub unit commander will be. Due to risk of discipline in the ranks. Don't leave it, it won't go away and by being up front with it, the pay staff will think more of you for dealing with it. Even my husband was in debt before we married, but I soon sorted him out. Good Luck.:)

martinbuckley

If you live on camp then you are accommodated and fed, and even with PAYD, you should be left with at least £800 a month. Paying back £6K just means you have no social life for a while.

Marker_2

I would leave the Army out of it - unfortunately if you do not have a good CoC/Welfare then it is a pointless waste of your time raising the issue.

I would go straight to SSAFA/RBL for advice and support. SSAFA is a huge organisation that has many many contacts, and as a matter of course deal with service personnel in debt on a daily basis.

PrincessCupcake

I wouldnt worry too much, its non of the armys business its a private matter, and if the said individuals want to enforce it they have to make a claim through small claims court.

exarmydreamer

Personal debt is unfortunately the army's business. It is an enforceable disciplinary matter and can lead to discharge in cases of becoming bankrupt. I should know, I have had to deal with indebted soldiers.

Gonzo33

PrincessCupcake wrote: »

I wouldnt worry too much, its non of the armys business its a private matter, and if the said individuals want to enforce it they have to make a claim through small claims court.

Princess you are wrong. It is very much the Army's business. It leaves the individual wide open to being bribed and all sorts of other business that the Army would rather not happen to any individual serving in it. Therefore it is in the soldiers best interests to repay the debt asap or declare it asap to ensure that he/she gets the help required.

As an aside many years ago the Army would not accept personnel who were in financial difficulty for such reason, although I think that rule has now been relaxed a little.