A RECENT Defence Information Notice details a reduction in married Service personnel’s entitlement to check their Privately Maintained Property (PMP) from 24 to four journeys per year.
It was deemed not necessary for Army couples to visit their property more than four times, but I have to check mine at least 12 times a year as per my contract and insurance conditions.
Name & address supplied
Response from Lt Col Steve Bostock, SO1 Allowances: The number of PMP journeys was cut because it was felt by all three Services to be an over-generous provision.
Many claimants were claiming the money but were going nowhere near their property and some benefitted by several thousands of pounds a year.
The option to make payments receipt-based was considered but the bottom line is that this was out of balance with the rest of the overall package.
It was therefore decided to reduce the amount of PMP journeys that could be claimed by those who were living in Service Families Accommodation on the basis that they already had a family home to live in, but accepting that some would have to visit their PMP over the course of a year for maintenance etc.
The resulting reduced spend in PMP journeys has been used to fund the restoration of the undergraduates’ School Children’s Visits journey and to increase the single/unaccompanied rate of Disturbance Allowance. Inevitably someone loses out when this sort of rebalancing happens.