WE ARE a group of wives from a regiment due to move to the London area. While our Welfare Team has been excellent in helping to prepare us, there is one aspect we feel is completely unfair.
Now the MOD has removed the London Allowance from Senior NCOs, it’s making London a less attractive posting for Service personnel. Not only has the cost of living gone up in general, but we foresee that our car insurance and household insurances will rise.
However, Junior NCOs will receive allowances which increase their wage by more than £400. This would be welcomed by SNCOs and their families.
We believe this is a case of indirect discrimination, defined as “when a working condition or rule disadvantages one group of people more than another”. Surely part of the incentive for gaining promotion is also financial reward?
We read with interest a letter sent to Postbag last year and quote: “The Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB) has been unable to review the Recruitment and Retention Allowance (London) because of insufficient evidence from the MOD. On visits to London, the AFPRB said that they heard strong views from Service personnel, who considered this a divisive measure and unfair, as all ranks faced the same issues.”
During the last year, can anyone confirm if subsequent visits to London have taken place and if a new review is underway or due to be carried out?
Name & address supplied
Response from PS10 (Allowances):
The MOD is resubmitting a paper of evidence to the AFPRB on the RRA(L) broadly seeking to restore a fairer allowance to all ranks within the bounds of what is affordable. The AFPRB will publish their findings in March 2014 in their annual report.