Army Families Federation

Redundancy Looms

2011-08-30T14:05:00.001+01:00

Sometime ago we thought we would write an AFF blog. At first it was reasonably simple but then as the cloak of doom wrapped itself ever tighter around morale it has become difficult to give a timely, measured statement, rather than just a rant over the ever depressed state of defence. I am not alone in feeling exhausted by the ever creeping depth of cuts; everything I thought sacred - pensions, allowances, housing and pay seems to be crumbling around us.

The announcement that the Army are to lose even more personnel was sneaked out. You don’t have to be Max Clifford to appreciate how deft the timing was – with the media’s self obsessed phone hacking scandal. Someone, somewhere, waiting for a day to bury bad news clicked send on the press announcement knowing that the drastic news on Army cuts would gain fewer column inches than on a quiet day. Safe in the knowledge that summer leave would give it time to blow over.

After the deluge of cuts personnel and families are at an all time low – and one wonders whether we can recover. The cleverly named ‘pause’ in the housing budget hardly raised an eyebrow. Numbers applying for redundancy are way beyond the numbers required and as more cuts are announced and the full effect of the austerity measures bite, the exodus will grow. By the time the army looks to consolidate in 2015, any hint of the green shoots of economic growth will see the Army return to the under manning crises of only five years ago. But this time the Force will be too small to juggle manpower to meet the commitment, and instead we will simply be moving the deck chairs on the Titanic.

What most are staggered by is that this assault on pensions, pay and allowances is being engineered by a government at a time when we are still heavily involved in overseas operations. All the talk of ‘black holes’ and ‘overspending’ hides the huge underfunding problem that is crippling the Army to such an extent that the damage will never be repairable. Whilst I accept that there are obvious issues in procurement (has anyone actually been held to account and lost their job as a result?) the vast majority of the Army have operated under stringent financial conditions for years. There is no huge outcry over the housing spend ‘pause’ because we are all used to living in poorly maintained houses – it’s nothing new.

Unlike other industries the Armed Forces can’t strike or even openly voice their concerns. No one accepts carefully crafted statements about such things as the Armed Forces Covenant; it is insulting to think they still believe we accept the half truths and skewed statistics about future investment and the belief in the role we fulfil. In the spin obsessed ‘Westminster Village’, where words are more important than actions, professional politicians with no experience of the real world accumulate gold plated pensions and ‘non executive advisory appointments’ to fund their champagne life-styles. In the Army, where people have always been judged on actions rather than words, the real motives for decision making is obvious and the contempt for those leaders who try to mask it is overwhelming. The difference between what the Government wants the Armed Forces to do, and the investment they are willing to make is laughable. No amount of smoke and mirrors can hide the fact that one day soon that difference will become publically and internationally apparent and whilst politicians might be embarrassed, soldiers are likely to be hurt or worse.

I wonder what soldiers and their families across the world will think when Remembrance Day comes this year? Is it possible to honour the soldiers of the past whilst abusing those serving today and fundamentally and irretrievably undermining the Army of tomorrow?

Catherine Spencer
AFF Director Communications

May news round-up

2011-05-25T11:21:00.000+01:00

As ever the pace of life in the Army world is relentless, with much of it related to changes which are making things harder for us all and it is taking all AFF’s ‘positivity’ to look for silver linings. No sooner have we started to comprehend the full scale of the cuts to defence that we are faced with the start of the cuts across the rest of Government. Against our pay freeze, inflation at 5% and the rising cost of utilities, fuels in particular, balancing the books of the family budget is almost impossible. Households are under a level of financial pressure not seen for over a generation and the threat of redundancy looms large across whole of the Army. Getting away from the pounds, shillings and pence, and despite the recent demise of Osama Bin Laden, the Taliban appear as keen to continue their terrorist campaign and Col Gaddafi obstinately refuses to budge. Although soldiers are yet to become involved, the UN is calling for a cease fire and any stalemate that needs policing will require boots on the ground – who is betting against at least some of them being British?

Appearing on the horizon is the spectre of the Olympics next year; press reports state that the MOD is helping with the planning of security, and the potential that soldiers will be called to help must be considered. Security is obviously essential for the games to take place; it would be disappointing, but perhaps inevitable, that soldiers may be required to be on duty rather than enjoying the events themselves, spending valuable time with families who see little of them during the always hectic working schedules.

How many are available for duty by next summer remains to be seen as the redundancy programme will be in full flow by then. There is still much nervousness, mainly because we are still in the very early days and it is difficult to judge how the process will be handled. If there are more applicants than vacancies, families might be happy because the likelihood of compulsory redundancies will surely be less; however one should then look beyond the numbers and find out why so many are apparently desperate to leave and gamble on a difficult job market. It isn’t because of the money on offer – it is significantly less than the last package – and the Army will need to reinvest properly in those that have chosen to stay.

If there are less volunteers than required then an alternative plot emerges. The spectre of soldiers who have served, selflessly, for over 10 years, through high intensity conflicts and long periods of separation, being sacked and sent out into a society with little or no understanding of their experience and talents, and only a fraction of a bankers bonus to help them rebuild their lives.

It is clearly more difficult than being made redundant by a civilian firm, because as unpleasant as that must be, there is not the need to find housing, schooling and all the difficulties of moving into civi street entail. Are they going to be properly looked after, a large number of ex-servicemen 'flooding' the market? Can councils cope with housing and schooling demands? Even before the point of release, are the Army's Career Transition Workshops capable of managing this obvious peak? Despite promises of a full service being offered to all leavers, can education centres receiving no extra resources, match this exponential increase in demand? If not the Army will rightly face accusations of abandoning yesterday’s heroes to an unforgiving economic climate, and simply hoping they get through. Not all of them will.

On a positive note, the Prime Minister’s decision to halt the progression of the Armed Forces Bill and release the Military Covenant is very welcomed but despite being a lengthy document it is unclear as to whether this will provide tangible commitments. It will be needed by those leaving the service in the coming months but a degree of caution must still remain. Enshrinement in law is clearly important progress, but ministers must understand that the covenant is a living document, able too react to the circumstances that the military and society face at any particular time. Families need the protection offered by society understanding the forces community and the challenges it faces, and as the nature of those challenges evolves as they so surely will, so the Covenant should evolve as well. My fear is the Government will place the Covenant on the statue books, move on to new business thinking ‘job done’.

The evolution of forces life has already been outlined, with the announcement of the study into the New Employment Model. Rest assured AFF will work hard on your behalf to understand and be included in any decision making process. The findings will affect all soldiers, married and single alike, as well as their extended families and whilst we acknowledge that the current model is probably in need of a review, we will remind those commissioning the report that it should be about choices and flexibility, not cost saving and reductions. Accompanied service remains the bedrock of Army family life; we will lobby tirelessly to ensure that this is understood by the study and that they remember operational effectiveness has a moral component. In times of continuing change the old adage that you recruit a soldier but retain a family is never more true.

Redundancy

2011-04-07T14:59:00.000+01:00

Tranche one of the redundancies has seen wildly differing reactions dependent on your hopes and aspirations. In one camp we have those who are understandably deeply concerned over their name falling into the criteria for redundancy. The Army have produced a comprehensive list of all those who are eligible, either as an applicant or non-applicant, and despite assurances that the appearance of your name on the list is no indication of your ability, we know that soldiers and their families feel vulnerable as a result.

Some of those who appear on the list will already be making plans to exit the Army and will view it as an excellent opportunity to leave an organisation which they believe has dramatically altered the ‘offer’ they signed up to. Many will view the potential involvement in Libya and the reductions to the Army as a result of spending cuts brought about by the Strategic Defence and Security Review as unrealistic and will see the redundancy as an opportunity to leave a sinking ship. Families know that further commitment to operations, combined with a reduction in boots on the ground will result in their soldier deploying more frequently. The announcement of tranche one comes as reductions to allowances come into play on 1 May. Families will see their income dip and they may well be drawn towards Civvy Street for stability, a decent second income and the chance to buy their own home in a depressed housing market.

A third set will dearly wish that they were eligible for redundancy and will be disappointed that they are not able to apply at this point. Many families will have checked out the redundancy calculator and will have begun looking for work elsewhere as morale across the army remains depressed.

We are most concerned about families whose soldier is currently deployed but will have completed Post Operational Tour Leave by the time redundancies are confirmed and are therefore at risk of redundancy as a non-applicant. Whilst they may not be on tour when the redundancies are confirmed, the fact they know they are under threat is of great concern particularly when it is difficult to communicate alternative plans due to being separated by the op tour. AFF has already identified this as an issue and have asked command to provide additional ‘phone minutes for those affected. We’ll keep you posted as to their reply.

Catherine Spencer
AFF Director Communications

AFF CEA Survey update

2011-03-02T12:30:00.002Z

by Catherine Spencer, AFF Director Communications

The results of the AFF Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) survey, designed to provide an alternative to the increasingly discredited DASA survey, are overwhelming. Given the deluge of comments AFF has received in recent weeks we were unsurprised by the results which show 92% of you would leave the Army if the allowance were to go altogether and 53% indicated they simply could not afford to pay additional contributions. Limiting the choice of schools was seen as overly simplistic, as the needs of one family are rarely the same as the needs of another, and limiting the age at which children can access CEA was felt to be too restrictive. Too much damage can be done in the early years when the foundations of an education are laid; by 11 children are already 6 years into a 12 - 14 year process; 40 – 50% complete. BFBS Forces News’s report indicated this is not a decision taken lightly by families. As well as providing the essential educational stability that our children need to give them a fair chance of succeeding in a very tough environment, the stability is also emotional. It is protection from the constant coming and going of the service family member and provides distance from the stress of deployment. When my husband’s Battalion were away, the school playground talked of little but the casualties as information arrived back from the front line.

There is increasing unease surrounding the speed of the CEA review. Our lobbying resulted in the promise that we will be consulted, but the aim still appears to be to report and implement changes within the next year, so that savings can start immediately (they are certain there are savings to be made). Any new version of CEA will need extensive testing to ensure that Forces children aren’t just guinea pigs to a scheme which ends up not delivering and costing as much as the original for an inferior product. A half-baked scheme will result in families leaving just as readily as the total removal of CEA.

Newspapers are starting to report that next financial year will be even more difficult than this. We were told that the SDSR (Strategic Defence and Security Review) process had drawn a line under the MoD’s financial problems and, although it was a very difficult pill to swallow, it had to be taken to get back on track. The MoD is now very quiet when asked about the next financial year; indeed it appears they have decided to delay any decisions, mainly because they are so unpalatable. To continually be asked to do more with less, or the same with less is simply not feasible. Trying to do less with less when you are fighting a war, which we are told is reaching a critical year, seems absurd, yet this is the situation our soldiers are facing. Someone needs to make a stand before it is too late, and the damage being done to the Army’s greatest asset, its people, becomes not only irreparable, but infectious. After all no-one in the Army has enjoyed the same period of prosperity and affluence that our civilian contemporaries became used to. The last ten years delivered a punishingly high tempo of operations which did not bring the same financial benefits as those enjoyed in Civi Street. Austerity is nothing new to Army families who are well used to the reality of no budget being available for anything from housing repairs to decent aircraft to get their soldier back on R&R.

Protecting the front line allowance, often quoted, is a contradiction. Morale on the frontline is absolutely affected by the home front situation; whilst operational allowances may remain strong the reduction in allowances, threat to CEA and danger of redundancy affects all those in the Army – including those on current deployment. As we face another year of fierce fighting, are we comfortable, we may have the very real situation where soldiers are volunteering for very dangerous operational tours because they need the money in an increasingly expensive world, with inflation at 4% and salaries frozen for potentially a third 3 year as well? Will they stay, or needing the money, jump out of the frying pan into the fire of private security firms paying big bucks?

If politicians decide we have done our bit as a force for good and the time is right for a period of stability and reorientation at home, then not many Army families will complain. Families are weary of the high tempo of operations with service personnel deploying all over the world, fighting wars to impose stability whilst helping to preserve Britain’s global status. If the Army remains at home once this current war is over, then we need to make sure the package for these ‘serving veterans’ reflects the sacrifices they and their families have made. And we need to make sure that the Army retains the people who deliver the capability to serve again when the time comes; one look at the uncertainty in the Middle East and North Africa suggests that will not be as far in the future as the financial masters might have wished. The worry has to be if the cuts continue as they appear set to do and, as our survey suggests, a large number of experienced soldiers vote with their feet when the economy picks up, those left will not be able to do what is required.

Continuity of Education Allowance update

2011-02-15T07:27:00.001Z

Our viral campaign regarding the DASA CEA survey culminated in a stunning array of media time.

We’ve had a huge response concerning the allowance changes and the DASA survey which led to AFF issuing a press release to highlight your concerns. You could see the results every time you opened a newspaper or turned on the TV. Last week the Forces Pension Society (FPS), highlighted the huge financial impact of changes to public sector pensions, especially to War widows as well as the Government’s commitment to the Military Covenant. Our reporting on the state of your morale was seized upon by the networks and every major newspaper, TV channel and radio station. Forces issues even made it into Prime Minister’s questions!

The media will always pick on sensational aspects of any story. So it is no surprise they majored on the headline statistic that 78% of you have reconsidered your future as a result of the allowance changes and that the ongoing closed review of CEA continues to cause anxiety in all areas of army life. The coincidental release of stories highlighting fraudulent CEA claims is also no surprise. The review of all claimants has been ongoing for many months and it is fortunate that the absolutely clear and fair requirement for this particular allowance have been given media space alongside these stories of abuse. AFF welcomes every review into those claiming the allowance, and where fraud has or is occurring we absolutely believe the individuals should face the full brunt of both the Armed Forces and the law. But, it is equally vital to continue to stress that cases of fraud do not undermine the basic requirement for continuity of the education of your children.

On Thursday morning General Dannatt wrote strongly in favour of our position in the Daily Telegraph, giving the government notice as to the ‘amber warning lights’ our message, alongside that of the FPS and the concern over the status of the Military Covenant. We are delighted that this internationally respected former Chief of the General Staff (CGS) continues to understand and support the unique difficulties of service life, especially during this prolonged period of fighting. He, better than most will remember the huge recruiting and retention difficulties the army faced right until the economic collapse which is causing us such hardship today. Whilst soldiers appear to be staying in the army due to the current economic climate, all military thinking understands that this will not last. The fear must be, that as soon as the green shoots of recovery are seen in civi street soldiers will once again vote with their feet. Even promising increases to military spending for the next parliament is unlikely to be enough; the maintenance of the status quo, let alone the very real shadow of even deeper cuts in the coming years are likely to mean that the promise of ’jam tomorrow’ will be at least a day too late.

So where do we go from here? Julie McCarthy has been in constant dialogue with senior command throughout this period of intense media activity, and whilst we have undoubtedly ‘ruffled a few feathers’, the working relationship remains excellent and they understand that we would not be doing our job if we had played down your concerns. Whilst clearly protecting your confidentiality at all times we have undertaken to share the results of our survey with the Chief of the General Staff (CGS), as well as passing on your written comments. This will provide evidence of the depth of feeling and concern currently being felt. We’ll keep you posted on how we get on, so keep emailing us your thoughts.

On a separate, brighter note the latest Continuous Attitude Survey will be hitting your doorsteps in the coming weeks. These are a vital tool in the trend analysis of forces life, so AFF encourages you all to fill this survey in with as much enthusiasm as you have been giving to the debate on allowances and morale. It is equally important and will give command a real sense of whether life is getting better or worse for our army community.

By Catherine Spencer, AFF Director Communications

2011-02-03T07:53:00.004Z

W/c 1 February 2011

It’s been a very busy week at AFF since a concerned soldier faxed us a copy of the DASA Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) survey last Thursday. He was rightly shocked at the suggestions it contained. We immediately placed a warning on our website and asked people to ‘exercise extreme caution’ when completing it. AFF has been busy liaising with senior command over your views. We know that many of you have boycotted the survey due to the absurd ‘choices’ it offers.

We’ve been overwhelmed with response, mainly from serving personnel. It seems that our soldiers have had enough. Pension cuts, pay freezes, redundancies, allowance cuts, and now a badly communicated, poorly constructed CEA survey with seemingly sly questions, which have resulted in a deluge of comments telling AFF just how let down you feel.

Is it any surprise that soldiers are seriously questioning how much they are valued when the cuts we are being asked to endure are so deep? It seems that the uncompromising, sustained operational tempo has quietly been forgotten along with the promises of the Armed Forces Covenant, the nation's agreement to look after its soldiers, which lies in tatters, gathering dust in the ‘to do’ tray.

Soldiers and their families talk of betrayal and many have said that they would have left years ago had they known what was coming. The sad fact is that with no trade union to fight their corner, our soldiers are an easy target for cut backs.

We know that senior command are very aware of the lack of morale currently sweeping through the Forces and are listening to us. They understand that you don’t have to cut allowances on the frontline for the frontline to be affected. The promise that operations in Afghanistan will be protected from cuts is meaningless. Comments and enquiries we’ve been receiving demonstrate that morale everywhere is at an all time low. Soldiers and their families struggle to cope with financial pressures from all sides. It’s not just the money though, it’s that feeling that the Government is quickly forgetting the ten years of hard fighting, fatalities and casualties that soldiers and families continue to suffer, as they ask why it is that they must bear the brunt of the pain caused by other people’s financial mismanagement.

AFF will continue to highlight your concerns to senior command and the Government.

So if you want to add your views, email us in confidence at feedback@aff.org.uk

We say what you can‘t say, to the right people, to make sure your voice is heard.