Army Families' Concerns - Army Families Federation

Army Families’ Concerns army families federation This is the quarterly report from the Army Families Federation, highlighting the issues that Army families have brought to our attention. We gather evidence from Army families worldwide, providing an accurate reflection of matters affecting the global British Army community. AFF works at a local level with families and Army command to resolve individual problems, and at a strategic level to highlight issues that need further attention and policy revision; we also work with the third sector, Local Authorities (LAs) and businesses. All issues included in this report have been raised with the appropriate agency or command for resolution.

Quarter 3 [July to September] 2014

2,156

We received families’ concerns this quarter.

50,000

We reached over families through our Army&You magazine. AFF continues to deal with a wide breadth of issues. This quarter, families have approached us about:

• cancellation of pre-move outs • the over 37s’ package • divorce • minimum income threshold

Issues recorded worldwide

AFF Specialist Cat Calder 07789 551 158 [email protected]

Housing Housing remains the top issue for Army families; we were contacted by

families (a 64% increase from the same quarter last year)

Move-in/Move-out

130 families contacted us about the move-in/moveout procedure. The cancellation of the pre-moveout inspection worried families who felt they were ill-prepared for move-out. Families also complained about the disparity in standards of move-in/moveout highlighting the state of carpets, ovens and windows as key concerns.

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While we understand that housing is sparse across Salisbury Plain, we were appalled by the condition of the SFA we were meant to move into. So much so, that we returned to our old SFA with our stuff. The Housing Office agreed to fail the SFA due to the condition of it, but we feel completely let down by the system

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AFF View: AFF will monitor the new CarillionAmey contract to see if the move-in/move-out process can be standardised so that families don’t move out of a clean house and into a dirty house.

Council tax disability reduction

We have had a small number of enquiries from families who have a disability who have said that on civvy street, if they met the criteria, they would get a reduction in council tax, however, they aren’t getting a reduction in Contribution in Lieu of Council Tax (CILOCT). AFF has raised this with the MOD.

Mid-assignment moves AFF is contacted regularly by families wanting to make the move from SFA into their own home, but are finding the removal costs a barrier to achieving this aspiration. AFF View: An aspiration of the New Employment Model (NEM) is that families take advantage of promised stability and buy and live in their own home. Removals are expensive and AFF believes that families should be able to access funding to undertake their move on the understanding that if they choose to go back into SFA, it will be at their own cost. AFF is working with the MOD to look into the feasibility of this.

AFF Specialist Caroline Mayne 07799 045 955 [email protected]

Money

174

families contacted AFF about money and allowances concerns this quarter.

Over 37s We have had a number of soldiers and their families contacting us about the Over 37s package. Families have been told that they can only access it on the soldier’s next posting. The adherence to these rules is so strict that one soldier, whose assignment order was delayed, had to pay for Single Living Accommodation for several months despite having moved their family into their own home on the basis of the original assignment date. AFF View: This rule seems to contradict the New Employment Model’s aspiration to settle families in their home. Once a soldier is over 37 and decides to settle the family whilst they remain mobile, why do they have to wait for an assignment order? The NEM aspirations are contradicted by a set of old allowance packages and these must be overhauled to be in line with the MOD’s way forward.

Kids’ accounts A number of banks and building societies are preventing soldiers and their families posted overseas from opening child saving accounts because the families do not meet the residency requirements. AFF View: This clearly breaches the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant and we will raise this issue with the financial institutions to try to overcome it.

Maternity Ex Gratia Four families have contacted us to say that the MOD Ex Gratia payment in lieu of Maternity Allowance (MA) policy has failed them. The aim of the policy is to remove disadvantage for spouses outside of the European Economic Area (EEA), who would have otherwise been entitled to receive Maternity Allowance had they remained in the UK. The policy enables the soldier, on behalf of their spouse, to claim Ex Gratia payment in lieu of Maternity Allowance from the MOD. AFF View: AFF fully supports this policy and is working with the MOD to ensure that these flaws are ironed out.

Foreign & Commonwealth

AFF Specialist and Assistant Katherine Houlston/ Michelle Prince-Burnett 07785 939 626 [email protected]

427 Once again this has been a busy quarter for AFF’s Foreign & Commonwealth team with 427 families looking for advice.

Minimum income threshold The Minimum Income Threshold rule is starting to have an effect on some junior F&C soldiers wishing to bring their families over to the UK. One family told us that they had to make the difficult decision to not bring their children because the soldier did not earn the required amount. AFF View: Any rule that results in the enforced separation of a soldier and their family, outside contingencies of Service, is unacceptable.

Education & Childcare

Number of families who contacted AFF this quarter

School children’s visits for divorced Service personnel AFF continues to be contacted by divorced soldiers based overseas who struggle to get access to their children.

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155

Concerns raised included schools’ use of the Service Premium and assistance with admissions into schools for the autumn term.

AFF Specialist Lucy Scott 07527 492 869 [email protected]

I play equal prime mover status in my children’s lives but the Army refuses to recognise them as my dependants. Since being posted overseas I’ve spent over £6,000 flying them to see me and they are provided with absolutely no official status or protection whilst here

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AFF View: AFF continues to lobby the MOD to extend the Schools Children’s Visits allowance to divorced Service personnel.

AFF Specialist Caroline Mayne 07799 045 955 [email protected]

Employment & Training Overseas and devolved administration postings Many spouses talk to us about how their mobile lifestyle impacts on their ability to access funding for training. Those overseas or living in devolved administration areas especially find themselves unable to meet the residency requirements that often come with career development and student loans. If a spouse is unable to work due to a lack of employment opportunities, problems with visas or not having the right skills for the jobs available, then access to training and help with funding becomes doubly important and might impact on whether a soldier and their family choose to take up overseas or devolved administrations posting.

124

families contacted us about employment and training issues.

Health & Additional Needs

AFF Specialist Karen Ross 07552 861 983 [email protected]

Service Family Accommodation (SFA) adaptations Families continue to encounter problems with the adaptations to SFA process:

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All that I have wanted from this process is an SFA that is suitable for my whole family’s needs

AFF View: AFF continues to work with DIO to highlight where the adaptations process is failing.

97

families contacted AFF this quarter about health and additional needs matters.

Armed Forces Covenant Concerns

AFF Specialist Julie Lowe 07833 448 352 [email protected]

Corporate Covenant improves access to commercial services

167 families contacted AFF about Covenant concerns.

Overseas Branch

Although it is important to support the employment of Reservists and Service leavers, the Corporate Covenant has much to offer to the serving community. Over the last year, we’ve seen families face disadvantage when accessing commercial services due to the Armed Forces lifestyle or overseas assignments; central commitments to remove these disadvantages are required. In addition, pledges made by organisations through the Corporate Covenant could help immensely.

Overseas Director Phil Robertson 07795 687 930 [email protected]

AFF received a steady stream of comments that Disturbance Expense is insufficient and families with children at boarding school in the UK desperately want to see the number of School Children’s Visits flights increased from three to six. Spouses are frustrated by the lack of employment opportunities overseas but recognise that increased access to training whilst they are outside the UK could be an acceptable solution.

AFF engaged with

322

families living overseas.

Family life was our greatest area of concern with families asking about access to BFBS in Kenya, soldiers working hours and information about specific postings. A large number of families in Cyprus contacted us regarding the ending of some school bus services on the island.

Representing and contact with families

AFF online

www.aff.org.uk

number of people following @ArmyandYou in its first year

77,193 unique page views July to September

3,023

people are signed up to AFF’s constant contact

AFF’s followers

4,158 92,285 total reach July to September

Most popular Facebook posts •

Withdrawal of pre- move-out appointments

•

CarillionAmey update

•

Army life means to me

Most popular social media articles •

Looking after your SFA

•

Policy change - CTF allowance

•

Own home survey

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www.armyandyou.co.uk @ArmyandYou

1,585

The brief, which I attended, on F&C issues was ‘Gold Dust’. My soldiers, and perhaps more importantly their spouses, owe them a debt of gratitude for their time and advice

This quarter AFF has engaged with: Adjutant General DIO Support Command Director Manning Army CGS’s Briefing Team Army Dependants’ Trust Naval Families Federation RAF Families Federation Directorate of Children & Young People Covenant Reference Group Forces in Mind Trust NHS England Hampshire Civil Military Partnership Board NSPCC Young Minds

SSAFA Families Additional Needs and Disability Forum Brigade meetings across the UK Salisbury Plain Welfare meeting Local Authority Conference KCMHR X-Forces PS4 York St John University The Royal British Legion Army Benevolent Fund AFPRB – pay review Department of Work and Pensions Department of Health

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AFF surveys & briefs Once an issue has been identified, AFF will often survey families to look at how widespread an issue is. Then, where appropriate, we will write a brief to highlight the issue to an appropriate audience. All of our briefs and survey results can be found at www.aff.org.uk/aff_in_action

Evidence Cycle

Surveys and briefs written this quarter: The Big Survey – http://www.aff.org.uk/aff_in_action/aff_surveys.htm AFF research • Working with KCMHR, sponsoring three year PhD - ‘What’s it like to have a partner in the military? The social and psychological experiences of women’ • Commissioning research on attainment levels for Army children; working with York St John University

AFF is the voice of the Army family It empowers, acts as an advocate and an expert witness to promote a quality of life, which reflects the Armed Forces Covenant

Have you found this publication useful? For details of our other publications, please visit AFF Research www.aff.org.uk/about_aff/aff_research.htm Author: Louise Simpson, [email protected] AFF Ramillies Building Marlborough Lines Andover Hants SP11 8HJ Telephone: 01264 382324 Email: [email protected] www.aff.org.uk Registered charity number 291202