Army deducted £500 from tour bonus
poppasmurf_bewdley
Forumite 5.9K Posts
My son was serving in Afghan earlier this year and was two weeks short of the end of the six month stint when I had a heart attack.
The Army checked with the hospital about my condition, and the hospital suggested it was best if he came home. The Army laid on a chopper to bring him back from his base to Camp Bastion and then flew him home. He was home within 48 hours of my attack. He wasn't given any choice about coming home - he was told he was being flown home due to the emergency.
I certainly have no complaints of how the Army reacted to the emergency, and it certainly helped in my recovery.
However, they have now without warning deducted £500 from his salary this month as they say he did not complete his tour, saying he shouldn't have received a full tour bonus.
Does anyone know if this correct, and is it possible he could claim the money back from his insurance which he took out prior to going to Afghan?
The Army checked with the hospital about my condition, and the hospital suggested it was best if he came home. The Army laid on a chopper to bring him back from his base to Camp Bastion and then flew him home. He was home within 48 hours of my attack. He wasn't given any choice about coming home - he was told he was being flown home due to the emergency.
I certainly have no complaints of how the Army reacted to the emergency, and it certainly helped in my recovery.
However, they have now without warning deducted £500 from his salary this month as they say he did not complete his tour, saying he shouldn't have received a full tour bonus.
Does anyone know if this correct, and is it possible he could claim the money back from his insurance which he took out prior to going to Afghan?
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AIUI the only exception is if he was injured in which case the bonus is paid as if he'd been there for the full planned length (and possibly whilst in hospital as well?).
He would need to check his policy to see what he can/can't claim
The minute you leave theatre, unless en-route or at to decomp, you stop your Operational Allowance, paid at around £30 a day. That applies to EVERYONE, unless you are repatriated to Selly Oak due to very serious Injuries.
Its a completely fair way of doing it; why should he get a taxpayer paid allowance if he no longer qualifies? The Insurance will be a non-starter, which usually provides cover for injury or death only.
I have seen many lads in and out of afghan due to whatever and not completing full tours and have always got full op bonus for the whole tour. It wasn't his fault he was taken away.
As for op bonus stopping when inbound to bloodhound. That's also wrong. The RAF get op bonus whilst on decomp. Navy and Army do not.
I'd definitely get him to check that out. Seems different services get different pay patterns.
You say having him there assisted your recovery.
I can't help thinking that it's a little ungrateful to gripe that your son didn't get paid for the time when he wasn't in theatre - if you feel that badly for him... perhaps you could give him the money?
Please can you tell me where in my post did I "gripe" about how my son was treated? I said very specifically that I had no complaints with how the army acted, and I merely asked if their action was correct.
And for your information, although it has absolutely nothing to do with you, I bought and paid for the bedroom furniture for the house him and his fiancee recently moved into, which was a darned sight more than £500.
Opps, forgot to mention that his commanding officer was so incensed when he heard about it that he has taken up the matter with the pay department in the first instance.
So, why the need to ask on here if his CO is already on the case?
Can't you just leave it to your son to sort it on his own?
PS - I didn't say your 'gripe' *was" about your son getting home - I fully appreciate that your 'gripe' is that you think it's unfair that he was not paid his allowance for a time when he was NOT in theatre...
Firstly, because I only found out about his CO taking up the case yesterday.
Secondly, I would hope that if you have children you would be willing to try and help out if you could. I certainly take that view even if you find it strange.
There you go again, putting words in my mouth. Where in my post did I state that it was unfair that he was not paid his full allowance?