Afghan LOA

[CashMachine]

Been to Afghan recently? Received LOA? Sure you were entitled?

Was shown a briefing notice on an RAF intranet news page today. Lots of people have been given LOA while in Afghan, as there is a DWP (Deployed Welfare Package) in place they were not entitled.

The RAF have now decided to recover all of this money. The largest individual debt being over £16,000. They are even looking into the possibility of debt recovery action from ex-service personnel, seriously? I had to laugh at the idiot who had decided this might be an "emotive issue". Methinks this is an understatement.

My point is that surely as an individual has no control over the payment of LOA, it's switched on and off by adminers, why should the claimant be held responsible for this and forced to repay a sizable amount of money.

Also will any action be taken against the admin staff who have made this gargantuan cock-up, while they still maintain they deserve the higher pay band!

Finally, if the adminers use the "confusing rules" excuse what chance do the rest of us have????

 

[chiprafp]

If True I am bloody gobsmacked!

 

[Mug?]

Loa?

Loa?

Why would anyone expect LOA? Only those on a long term commitment would be entitled or if you had family there? (doubtfull?) or unless ANY element of the DWP is not available. Free washing/30 mins calls/ internet access etc.

You get free parcels too? so what do you need to spend LOA on?

It is everyones duty to check their pay statements so if you got it you should have bought it to the attention of the adminers ( once you got a few months interest)

Little sympathy to be honest (only cos when i went to the falklands i was not entitled even though stuff was overpriced and no access to a BX/PX and had to pay postage on stuff!)

 

[I`m Ron Burgundy?]

I came back from KAF recently and didnt receive LOA, none of us did so anyone who has been getting it should have noticed!

 

[busby1971]

Are you confused

Are you confused

Are you not confusing LOA and LSA.

If not then as Mug said you've only yourself to blame, I knew a guy who kept quiet about moving into the mess for about 18 months, of course the adminers should have noticed it but in those days we were only on low pay band.

Long story short 565 days worth of Officer grade accom charges and food charges were recovered, even pre JPA people had a responsibility to highlight irregular payments.

 

[Humble Scribe]

If True I am bloody gobsmacked!

Come and see me Monday morning & prepare to be bloody gobsmacked. Oh, bring your cheque bookDT_Xtremez_30:

 

[southblue]

I came back from KAF last year and was paid LOA. I remember querying it at the time but was told that everyone was entitled to this allowance and that it only appeared as "LOA" on my pay statement because there was no other way to input it.

Then today, I'm called back in and told that they will be taking it back. I personally, am not overly surprised as I was half-expecting this. But I expect there will be more than a few who will be seriously annoyed by this.

Initially I thought this was just another example of how **** JPA is, then I considered those who have sadly been lost in Afghan - will they be chasing Widows for this money?

Edit to add:
£16,000 - that's just mental! And I'm worried about my pay being buggered around for a mere couple of months!

 

[Don Key]

Well, all I can say is, with higher pay band comes responsibility, with responsibility comes culpability, with culpability comes disciplinary action for making a right royal cluster like this!DT_Xtremez_32:

This is truly on a par with an aircraft crash. I shall be watching with interest to see if any of the shineys get banged up for it.DT_Xtremez_32:

I wonder if the 1 day's pay per week rule still exists? It could take years to pay back £16,000 !!!DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[Shinyscot]

Also will any action be taken against the admin staff who have made this gargantuan cock-up, while they still maintain they deserve the higher pay band!

Finally, if the adminers use the "confusing rules" excuse what chance do the rest of us have????

Any excuse to put the boot into Adminers, the in theatre OPLOC team are a mixture of trades (sometimes even Navy and Army types). There is a chance it may have been a techie that mucked up, but don't let that get in the way of yet another gripe about the higher pay band

 

[Downsizer]

I am at a loss how anybody at KAF, in full reciept of the OWP, could authorise LOA or from the other side of the coin not question why they were recieving LOA...

 

[CashMachine]

I am at a loss how anybody at KAF, in full reciept of the OWP, could authorise LOA or from the other side of the coin not question why they were recieving LOA...

According to the article a majority of the cases relate to certain trades who spend short time in theater. Aeromeds and crew of transport a/c were quoted. They don't really have full access to the DWP because they're not around long enough and have been paid LOA instead.

The £16,000 figure will be a senior officer who has been paid it for the duration of a tour. The four days gross pay rule does apply and anyone who is told they will have money taken back can appeal this decision which will at least delay the recovery for 2 months, unless the amount is less than 4 days pay, in which case it will be recovered first then if successfully appealed will be repaid.

As for all of you who are sticking the boot into people who have received this allowance. If someone is being paid LOA, and the individual queries it with the "experts" who confirm the entitlement, what should he do next? Not everyone has an encyclopedic knowledge of entitlements.

Any excuse to put the boot into Adminers, the in theatre OPLOC team are a mixture of trades (sometimes even Navy and Army types). There is a chance it may have been a techie that mucked up, but don't let that get in the way of yet another gripe about the higher pay band

LMAO, I am astonished that you could try and pass the blame on this. For you to suggest that this could be the fault of any other trade shows a distinct lack of moral courage or integrity. Grab a pack of minge wipes and man up!!!!


Jog on.......

 

[muttywhitedog]

Sorry, but its true. An admin mate of mine was on the OPLOC team in 2008. He was the only admin dude - the others were a Navy Chef and an Army Mover.

 

[CashMachine]

I was under the impression that most of these allowances were actioned using the "track and move" system by the individuals parent unit. However not being of the admin persuasion i'm not sure.

Ok then, if this was not the fault of an adminer then the system is at fault for putting non trade specialists in such a position!

My bad.......

 

[duffman]

The four days gross pay rule does apply and anyone who is told they will have money taken back can appeal this decision which will at least delay the recovery for 2 months, unless the amount is less than 4 days pay, in which case it will be recovered first then if successfully appealed will be repaid.

Anyone else confirm this is true?

 

[Don Key]

Any excuse to put the boot into Adminers, the in theatre OPLOC team are a mixture of trades (sometimes even Navy and Army types). There is a chance it may have been a techie that mucked up, but don't let that get in the way of yet another gripe about the higher pay band

Get with the programme you sphincter sniffer! You want the higher pay band you play by higher pay band rules! In case nobody explained them to you that means WHEN YOU FCUK UP YOU PAY THE PRICE! If you want to be paid like a professional you are expected to BE a professional!

southblueI said "came back from KAF last year and was paid LOA. I remember querying it at the time but was told that everyone was entitled to this allowance and that it only appeared as "LOA" on my pay statement because there was no other way to input it."




That sounds like a shiney excuse to me. A responsible person worthy of the higher pay band would have agreed that it was wrong and done something about it, even a pongo or a matelot, unless they were of the same backsliding, whining, useless, incompetent, lacsadasical (sp?) apathetic, negligent, pathetic, oxygen stealing, ration wasting, alleged 'trade' as those you are supporting!

Now stop hiding behind the chief clerks very wide ass and face the fcuking music you starfish stabber!

[\rant]

All those in favour say Aye!

 

[busby1971]

Calm down

Calm down

Just because an adminer, if it was an adminer, has made a mistake does not mean that you can keep hold of money you have no right to have.

At the end of the day you will be left in the position you would have been in if you had never received the money, you may have invested the cash and earned interest, you might have paid off a loan or credit card and saved interest, the RAF won't chase this extra.

It was probably an SAC or civi that did the admin action, both of whom are lowly paid so get over this admin pay thing.

Is this error related to one unit/sect/sqn have the admin processes been clarified so it doesn't happen again.

Night Night

 

[southblue]

southblueI said "came back from KAF last year and was paid LOA. I remember querying it at the time but was told that everyone was entitled to this allowance and that it only appeared as "LOA" on my pay statement because there was no other way to input it."




That sounds like a shiney excuse to me. A responsible person worthy of the higher pay band would have agreed that it was wrong and done something about it, even a pongo or a matelot, unless they were of the same backsliding, whining, useless, incompetent, lacsadasical (sp?) apathetic, negligent, pathetic, oxygen stealing, ration wasting, alleged 'trade' as those you are supporting!

Now stop hiding behind the chief clerks very wide ass and face the fcuking music you starfish stabber!

[\rant]

All those in favour say Aye!

If you are going to quote my post, then I feel obliged to clarify that I made the above statement purely to describe my experience. I have no gripes with the admin staff. The only annoyance I have is with the JPA system - firstly in allowing this to happen, and secondly for the complex way in which it intends to retrieve the money back.
I have no desire to get involved, or have my words used as ammunition, in a war over pay levels.

To get back on topic, surely this just highlights how JPA (although a potentially useful tool) cannot be relied upon to automatically dish out allowances en masse.

 

[rest have risen above me]

It's easy... Admin error... Sorry .....PSF.."We'll sort it ...It may not be convenient but that's not our fault." (Even if we got it wrong) Surely you should be ready for admin errors with extra in the bank....... After 20 odd years I'm glad I can absorb **** from the admin world...... I have difficulties explaining this to the guys that I am responsible for.

 

[Don Key]

JPA didn't make or let this happen, some incompetent, negligent snivelling little shiney pressed the buttons that made it happen!

Everyone making excuses for the shineys, was it ever thus!

Except that now they are being paid as professionals they need to behave as professionals and start facing up to the consequences of their actions. It is no longer "just some techies wages" it is now a matter of record and quality and accountability. To date those concepts have been totally alien to the admin world, well guess what? Now it isn't going to be! Now, we are ALL entitled to a professional, competent, accountable level of service. Again, I stress, with high band pay comes responsibility and accountability. You want to be paid like a grown up, start behaving like one!

It is time we, the Air Force in general, started making the incompetent, complacent, negligent "HR" trade join the world of reality and responsibility! If you are an NCO or SNCO and your admin staff are negligent or incompetent, fizz 'em! If you are a junior and your PSF cock up, QR1001 the Chief Clk! Sauce for the aircraft trades, lubricant for the shiney's starfish!

 

[Bignick]

I think you are all getting hot under the collar about nothing here. Just give the local QA auditer a phone and ask him to check out the adminers QA system. Same as any other QA system, be it logistical or engineering, the problem will be found and sorted, simples! DT_Xtremez_19:

Hold on a minute...are the adminers signed up to QA?....surely they must be, they've been grabbing the big bucks for a while nowDT_Xtremez_34:DT_Xtremez_09: