Soldiers sacked before pension pay-out?

by **astradt1** Mon Jun 18, 2012 8:57 pm

Putting this one here as it is to do with pensions and this governments attempt to save money......

Soldiers sacked before pension pay-out?

Did the army deliberately sack soldiers because they were within spitting distance of claiming substantial pension entitlements?

Some soldiers with more than a decade of service in the world's most dangerous trouble spots have been sacked just before they crossed the 16-year army service threshold, enabling them to qualify for substantial pension rights.

Financial pressure
UK Servicemen aged 40-plus with 16 or 18 years' service behind them can claim a pension and tax-free lump sum when leaving the Army. They're also entitled to a second cash sum at 65.

However a recent culling of 3,000 army personnel is thought to have targeted many who would have been entitled to substantial pension benefits, including an immediate £12,000 stipend after quitting the army after 16 years.
http://money.aol.co.uk/2012/06/18/soldiers-sacked-before-pension-pay-out/?ncid=webmail3

"The decision is not being made on the grounds of ability, experience or commitment, purely on cost," Mr Henry Witham - his son Rupert was 12 months away from qualifying from a pension when he was sacked, despite several tours of Afghanistan - told the Telegraph. "It would appear that capable, experienced and dedicated officers are being sacrificed."

Army personnel are particularly vulnerable to such cuts as they have no union to represent them. However there is huge pressure on the public finances and some Treasury officials will feel a £12,000 a year pension at the age of 40 is unaffordable.

And this comes out just before Armed Forces Day on 30th June 2012...where the population should give thanks for those who have served in the Armed Forces of Great Britain but it would seem that those thanks do not extend to a pension for some......

Opinions?

by **Phil Hornby** Mon Jun 18, 2012 9:04 pm

For some it is academic. There will be no pension for the likes of the two soldiers killed in Afghanistan in the past few days - one of whom I knew.

This spiteful and despicable Tory Government - aided by their equally poisonous Lib Dem allies - have no regard for decency and fairness, and no respect for anyone other than their already-privileged friends. Vermin is too kind a word for them...

by oftenwrong Mon Jun 18, 2012 10:35 pm

If it is true, it's not a new story anyway. In the days of Empire, most British Companies had senior staff who had been in the firm's service for many years in far-flung outposts. Their pension was usually based upon final salary during their last year with the Company.

Policy was therefore to recall them to Britain twelve months before retirement to a desk job in Head Office, where they were no longer entitled to the generous emoluments paid for overseas service.

by tlttf Tue Jun 19, 2012 6:42 am

If true, very spiteful, I've read a piece that says they have to wait a further 5 years before they can draw their pension. All things considered thre are quite a few that will be unable to draw anything, on that basis perhaps they should be left alone. It's becoming like the poem "Tommy this and Tommy that".

Personally I'd like to see mp's pensions reviewed, they would then be able to better place themselves on the need to save money?

by Stox 16 Wed Jun 20, 2012 2:39 am

tlttf wrote:If true, very spiteful, I've read a piece that says they have to wait a further 5 years before they can draw their pension. All things considered thre are quite a few that will be unable to draw anything, on that basis perhaps they should be left alone. It's becoming like the poem "Tommy this and Tommy that".

Personally I'd like to see mp's pensions reviewed, they would then be able to better place themselves on the need to save money?

The best post I have ever read from yourself. I fully agree with what you have said tittf. its a utter disgrace and that does not say half of what I would like to post

by Stox 16 Wed Jun 20, 2012 2:41 am

Phil Hornby wrote:For some it is academic. There will be no pension for the likes of the two soldiers killed in Afghanistan in the past few days - one of whom I knew.

This spiteful and despicable Tory Government - aided by their equally poisonous Lib Dem allies - have no regard for decency and fairness, and no respect for anyone other than their already-privileged friends. Vermin is too kind a word for them...

Sorry to hear this Phil......one of whom I knew.

by **Phil Hornby** Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:28 am

Thank you , Stox

Corporal Alex Guy - a fine man and brave soldier . RIP.

by astra Wed Jun 20, 2012 12:54 pm

Sorry to hear your bad news Phil.

by **Phil Hornby** Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:16 pm

Thanks, Mr Astra.

Sorrow for the families and friends of all the fallen...

by trevorw2539 Wed Jun 20, 2012 3:59 pm

Phil Hornby wrote:Thanks, Mr Astra.

Sorrow for the families and friends of all the fallen...

Amen to that.

by Stox 16 Thu Jul 05, 2012 5:20 am

Phil Hornby wrote:Thank you , Stox

Corporal Alex Guy - a fine man and brave soldier . RIP.

Yes a very brave young man indeed Phil.

by oftenwrong Thu Jul 05, 2012 11:00 am

National Governments have always been ungrateful to the licentious soldiery. Following WW2, the Press was full of harrowing tales of faceless civil-servants denying pensions to wounded ex-servicemen because they were "deemed" capable of work. (Ring a bell, IDS?) in 1951 and 1952 many National Service conscripts were parcelled off to Nuclear Test Sites as human guinea-pigs but received little compensation for subsequent illness. The notorious chemical-warfare site at Porton Down provided similar comforts for conscripts who thought they were helping discover a cure for the common cold, but in fact were given uniforms soaked in Zyklon-B, as endorsed by German Death-camp organisers.

by astra Thu Jul 05, 2012 1:24 pm

and a little island off of the west coast of Scotland where they were exposed to ANTHRAX!

by oftenwrong Thu Jul 05, 2012 5:14 pm

Sheep, in that example astra, not soldiers. Although to an MoD clerk there's probably little difference in their relative importance.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1457035.stm

by astra Thu Jul 05, 2012 6:31 pm

by **astradt1** Thu Jul 05, 2012 9:43 pm

I can give you a more recent example of field trials of agents...

In early 1991 somewhere in the Saudi Desert British soldiers were issued Neostigmine Bromide, to take in the event of a nerve agent chemical attack.....

These tablets were of a single dose so no matter what size or sex you were you all took the same amount....

The order was 'If the chemical attack alarms went off you were to take on tablet and then 1 hour later take another'

At the end of the little shindig questionnaires were sent out to each soldier to fill in...has there been any follow up of those who took the tablets....No ...

A further cock-up was with Anthrax vaccine...the order was to give Pertussis (Whooping cough) vaccine at the same time as it would potentiate the Anthrax but what those giving the two vaccines were not told was that Pertussis vaccine only need to be given once, not three time like that Anthrax..........

Again now follow up of those given these vaccines or at least not of those who were not in the regular army but were only the reservists called up for the duration......

by oftenwrong Fri Jul 20, 2012 5:41 pm

The squaddies seem to be having the last laugh now that the £9billion Olympic saga is entirely theirs to sustain.

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