Portfolio_ReservistGuideToPersonalAdministration

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Army Reserve Guide to Pay & Allowances

This booklet has been designed to provide basic information about certain aspects of Personal Administration. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within, individuals must not use this booklet as authority to make a claim or claim an allowance. They must instead seek advice from various JPA publications and Unit HR Admin staff. The existence of an allowance does not imply automatic entitlement. Personnel are to note that this booklet is updated on a regular basis.

Reservist Guide to Personal Administration

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LIST OF CONTENTS Definitions 3 Emergency Contacts 5 Next of Kin 6 Additional Nominee 7 Personal Status Category 7 Changes in Personal Circumstances 7 Insurance 8 Pay 8 Home to Duty Travel 9 Charges 9 Allowances 10 Field Conditions 10 Longer Separation Allowance 10 Claims 11 NATO Rank Structure 13 Deployments Check List 14


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DEFINITIONS The following list of definitions is not exhaustive and refers to the most commonly used terms. For details of more definitions please see your HR Administrator. ASSIGNMENT ORDER

Official notification of a change in duty for at least 6 months or more.

CHANGE IN PLACE OF DUTY

Service personnel are deemed to have changed their place of duty once they have move location from one Duty Station to another as a consequence of written notification of a requirement to more (e.g. an assignment order). A person assigned to the same Duty Station is not deemed to have changed their place of duty for the purpose of allowances.

CHILD

A child is a legitimate child or step-child of either or both of the spouse/civil partners, or an adopted child.

CIVIL PARTNER

Civil Partner refers to each member of a same-sex couple, as registered under the Civil Partnership Act 2004.

CIVIL PARTNERSHIP

Civil Partnership refers to a same-sex couple who have registered a legally recognised partnership under the Civil Partnership Act 2004.

DIVORCE

Divorce is recognised when a decree Absolute is issued.

DUTY STATION

A duty station is defined as the station where the service person has been order, in writing (e.g. assignment order, temporary assignment order, course joining instructions) to report to, to carry out their duties.

ENGAGED

Defined as when an individual is a fiancé or fiancée.

FIELD CONDITIONS

Field Conditions may apply to either food or accommodation and are applied to all Exercise scenarios. It refers to an individual not paying for food or accommodation when they are on overnight stay, but still eating from service sources.


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HOME

A property that is either owned/part owned/rented/part rented and where the Service Person normally resides at weekends and/or periods of leave, or where a single service person lives during their normal day-to-day work.

INVOLSEP

When a service person is separated from their immediate family, normally for service reasons, they are classified as INVOLSEP in certain circumstances. Generally for the TA, it is when an individual has been mobilized on Operations.

MATERNITY LEAVE

Ordinary Maternity Leave (OML). OML is a period of up to 26 weeks during which normal terms and conditions of service apply, except remuneration. Additional Maternity Leave (AML). AML is a period of 26 weeks leave which may be taken after OML. This is unpaid leave and entitlement to allowances during any AML is likely to cease.

PERSONAL CONTRIBUTION

This is related to Home to Duty Travel and is the first 1 mile (for TA personnel in their own accommodation and Regular personnel in service accommodation – note that this contribution is different for Regular personnel in their own accommodation) for every journey from RWA to Duty Station. This first mile is not payable.

PERSONAL STATUS CATEGORY

This encompasses the definitions of Marital Status and recognizes the Civil Partnership Act 2004. Further details can be found on page 12.

RECEIPTS When you are claiming the reimbursement of actual costs you must be able to support your claim with valid receipts. Receipts are to be itemised receipts, which are provided to you by the hotel, restaurant or other retailer. A credit/debt card receipt or vouchers which contain no details of the items purchased are not an acceptable record.

RESIDENCE AT WORK ADDRESS

An address a service person travels to and from during the daily course of their work. Normally no more than 50 miles or 90 minutes from their Duty Station.

SERVICE FAMILY ACCOMMODATION

Any type of accommodation, whether permanent or temporary, owned, leased, requisitioned, or provided by, or on behalf of MoD for the authorized use of Service families. Put simply, when a service person lives in military housing, normally with their family.


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SERVICE COUPLE

A couple, both of whom are serving either Regular or TA. If, due to the requirements of the service, a couple are not co-located together, whichever party if PStatCat 1 will be designated to be living in the family home and will pay accommodation charges. If however they own or rent a home, which would normally be occupied other than for the needs of the service, that will be designated as their home address.

SINGLE LIVING ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation provided by the services for single or married unaccompanied personnel to occupy. This can be accommodation which is owned, leased or rented on behalf of the MoD for the use of service personnel.

SPOUSE

A spouse is one member of a married couple and is also the legal term used by that member with respect to the other.

UNACCOMPANIED SERVICE

Unaccompanied Service is deemed to exist when a Service Person who would normally reside with their spouse/civil partner, lives in a Residence at Work Address (RWA) other than that in which their spouse/civil partner and/or dependant children normally live. Unaccompanied service for a single parent (PStatCat 2) is deemed to exist when they are serving away from the home in which their dependant children would normally live with them. This can be involsep (non-voluntarily) or volsep (voluntarily).

EMERGENCY CONTACTS An Emergency Contact is the person you want to be informed in the event you are killed

or injured. You can nominate anyone as your Emergency Contact; it does not have to be your legal

Next of Kin. Generally your Emergency Contact should be someone aged over 18 years old whom you know and trust. If they are not your Next of Kin, it will be their responsibility to inform your Next of Kin in the event you are injured.

If you are killed, your legal Next of Kin will be automatically informed. As a guide, the following are usually nominated as Emergency Contacts:

Spouse or Civil Partner. Partner. Parent. Child (if over the age of 18). Girlfriend/Boyfriend. Siblings. Grandparent (bear in mind their age). Other relative or close friend.


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Those you should nominate are:

Children under the age of 18. Elderly relative – particularly if they have health problems. If any of the above is your legal Next of Kin, it is advisable to nominate a close friend or relative as your Emergency Contact, they would then be able to inform your Next of Kin.

You must update your Emergency Contact when there has been any change to their contact details, or upon changes to your personal circumstances. Should there be an occasion when the JCCC need to contact your Emergency Contact, they will use the details held on JPA. It is your responsibility to keep these details up-to-date.

You will be required to provide the following information when nominating your Emergency

Contact:

EC’s full name. Their full address including postal code. Their home telephone number including area code. Their relationship to you. Their date of birth – so we can ensure your have not nominated anyone under 18.

You will be required to check the accuracy of your Emergency Contact on the following occasions:

When arriving at or attached to a new duty station. When you deploy anywhere. When you change any of your personal circumstances. Annually.

It is your responsibility to ensure that details of your Emergency Contact are correct.

NEXT OF KIN Your legal Next of Kin (NoK) is your closest living relative, usually falling into the following

categories:

Spouse – please note that even if you are currently separated, until your Decree Absolute is issued, your spouse is still your legal NoK.

Parent. Children. Siblings. Grandparents. Other living relatives.

It is not mandatory for you to provide us with your NoK details, however it is highly advisable as in the event you are killed the MoD is legally obliged to inform them of your death.

When you provide us with your NoK details, you will need to give us the following

information:


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Full name. Their full address including postal code. Their home telephone number including area code. Their relationship to you.

It is advisable to check the accuracy of your NoK at regular intervals to ensure we hold the correct details.

ADDITIONAL NOMINEE JPA give you the opportunity to nominate as many people as you like to be informed in

the event you are killed or injured. Obviously the priority for the MoD is to inform your EC and NoK, however they will also ensure your Additional Nominee(s) are informed.

If you are nominating Additional Nominees, the information required is:

Full name. Their full address including postal code. Their home telephone number including area code. Their relationship to you.

PERSONAL STATUS CATEGORY All personnel are to ensure they keep their Personal Status Category (PStatCat) up-to-

date with HR Admin. All officers and soldiers are to declare their personal status through the completion of AF O1700 available from HR Admin.

Any change in status is to be reported without delay and a new AF O1700 completed.

Failure to report any changes in personal circumstances may result in incorrect allowances being paid.

Personal Status includes all items listed under personal circumstances below. CHANGES IN PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES In order to facilitate the administration of all mobilized reservists, it is imperative that all TA

personnel up date their personal records. Inaccurate records can result in incorrect rates of pay or being ineligible for some allowances. TA personnel are therefore to report any changes of circumstances, including those listed below, to their sub unit HR Admin without delay:

Change in NoK details. Civil Offences, including alleged offences for which proceedings are pending. Any conviction arising from civil offences. Divorce/Separation. Births. Marriages. Deaths. Change of Address. Change of Employment. Gaining any educational or professional qualifications not previously declared. Any changes in medical or dental condition (other than minor illnesses or minor

injuries) which is under treatment by civilian practitioners/specialists or hospitals.


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Any planned absence out of the UK. Assumption of sole responsibility for the care of mentally or physically disabled person

requiring such attention that the carer is no longer able to meet his Call Out liabilities. Receipt of a DSS War Disability Pension or gratuity, or another DSS disablement

award, allowance or gratuity. INSURANCE PERSONAL ACCIDENT INSURANCE. All TA personnel are advised of the need to take out personal accident insurance cover

against death or injury. If an individual is killed or injured for reasons attributable to service and not due to personal negligence or misconduct, they or their dependants would be eligible for attributable benefits (AFCS for example). Such benefits will not be sufficient to cover loss of civilian earnings or the additional personal costs inevitably incurred.

TA personnel are eligible to join RPAX, an insurance scheme devised specially to cover

the needs of the Armed Forces Reserves, or any other personal accident insurance scheme. Personal Accident insurance is an individual’s responsibility and they are advised to consult a broker who is a member of SIIAP who will have the specialist knowledge of the needs of Army personnel.

LIFE INSURANCE. All personnel are advised to check their Life Insurance or Assurance policy, to ensure that

they will remain covered whilst on military duties of any nature. TA personnel are eligible to join both RPAX, PAX and SLI. Individuals are advised to consult a broker who is a member of SIIAP who will have specialist knowledge of the needs of Army personnel with regard to Life Insurance.

SPORTS, ADVENTUROUS TRAINING AND CHALLENGE PURSUITS INSURANCE All personnel are to be aware of the need to take out personal accident insurance cover

for playing sports or participating in adventurous training or challenge pursuits. The TA Sports Control Board insurance policy only covers representative sport which is part of an Army sponsored competition. It does not cover inter-unit or sub unit sport.

KIT INSURANCE Personnel are advised to consider taking out kit insurance to cover the value of clothing

and equipment issued to them or temporarily in their charge. During training individuals may be issued with extra equipment such as binoculars or compasses. Loss of, or damage to such equipments can be expensive if the individual is found liable and is asked to make repayment to the Army.

PAY BANK DETAILS It is your responsibility to ensure the correct bank details are held for you on JPA.


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Credit of Pay is the date when your final monthly salary is sent to your nominated bank. This normally occurs in the last week of the month. After this date (around about the 20th – 23rd) you will not be able to make any changes to your pay to take effect that month.

You will not be able to access your money until the first working day of the month, but you

can logon to JPA, contact JPAC or check ArmyNet to find out about specific details of your pay.

Should you wish to change your bank details, you must ensure your new details are

effective prior to closing any existing accounts. INCREMENTS Your annual pay increases twice a year.

1st April in accordance with the AFPRB pay increase. On the anniversary of your promotion – IBD.

In the British Army, these are the only two occasions when you pay will increase annually. Pay rises for courses – your annual incremental pay rise occurs on successful completion

of your Class 3,2 & 1 qualifications. HOME TO DUTY TRAVEL Home to Duty Travel is designed to assist Service Personnel with the cost of travel

between their Residence at Work Address (home) and their place of duty. Personal Contribution – see definitions pages. Home to Duty Travel is paid for journeys to undertake training, i.e. drill night, course etc. For journeys by private motor vehicle HDT, is based on the actual distance travelled less

a PC, subject to a maximum distance (and travelling time). Generally that distance is 50 miles, travelling time 90 minutes.

Toll, Passenger Ferry, Congestion Charges and Parking Fees. Personnel who incur toll

fees, passenger ferry costs, congestion charges, or parking fees at, or close to train or coach stations or ferry terminals, as part of their regular journey to and from work, will be eligible to claim actual refund costs provided that their total daily return claim does not exceed the value of the appropriate HDT (Public) or (Private) 50 mile rate.

CHARGES ACCOMMODATION CHARGES

For the purpose of assessing an individual’s liability to accommodation charges, a member of the TA is regarded as having been granted permission to live out. When individuals carry out continuous training in excess of 28 days, they are to provide a written undertaking that they have a continuing commitment to paying mortgage or rent, and that their property is not let or sub-let.


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FOOD CHARGES

Food charges are not applicable for personnel who have been given permission to live out. TA personnel are liable for food charges whilst on duty and eating from service sources.

NATIONAL INSURANCE

National Insurance is paid by all members of the TA, at the appropriate earnings-related contribution rate. Contributions in respect of TA pay will be at the contracted in rate of National Insurance.

INCOME TAX

Income Tax is deducted at the basic rate from all TA taxable training pay and bounties, irrespective of whether an individual has another full-time job.

ALLOWANCES Eligibility for certain allowances is dependent on an individual’s Personal Status Category

– it is therefore vital that this kept up-to-date. Subsistence Allowance – see details under Claims section. Longer Separation Allowance – TA personnel qualify for Longer Separation Allowance

(LSA) as per details under LSA section. FIELD CONDITION Field Conditions may be declared when the quality of food is substandard, dining facilities

are not provided and food has, for example, to be eaten out of mess tins. In situations where Field Conditions have been declared, individuals are not entitled to

claim IE. When individuals are not paying food charges on duty, they are not entitled to claim IE.

During an Exercise, Field Conditions are in force. LONGER SEPARATION ALLOWANCE Longer Separation Allowance (LSA) is a non-taxable allowance designed to compensate

personnel for long periods of separation. LSA is payable for periods spent INVOLSEP of 10 days or more. LSA is not payable for periods spend on training camps or courses an individual is

attending in order to qualify for their annual bounty. Generally, TA personnel will qualify for LSA when mobilized on Operations or Exercise’s,

except where these exercises are part of their annual training.


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LSA is started in theatre by the arrivals clerk, i.e. when you get to Afghanistan and do all your arrival paperwork you clerk will ensure JPA reflects the country you are in and the allowances you are to receive.

CLAIMS IN ORDER TO SUBMIT ANY CLAIM YOU MUST HAVE AUTHORISATION – COURSE JOINING INSTRUCTIONS, ADMIN INSTRUCTIONS. FAILURE TO SUBMIT AUTHORISATION WILL RESULT IN YOUR CLAIM BEING RETURNED TO YOU UNPAID. WHEN CAN YOU SUBMIT? You can submit a claim when you have been absent from your permanent duty station for

over 24 hours. WHAT YOU CAN CLAIM FOR? Day Subsistence (DS)

RECEIPTED This is a re-imbursement of actual receipted costs, up to the DS limit, for expenditure

necessarily incurred for food and drink during the day for periods of over 5 hours’ absence from the permanent or temporary assignment station. The DS rate is based on the average cost of meals obtainable from commercial catering outlets.

For example – you travel from Bodmin to Chatham on a duty journey. You leave Bodmin at 0600hrs and arrive in Chatham at 1300hrs. Provided you were not given a packed lunch and you could not eat in the mess in Chatham, you would be entitled to claim back the cost of purchasing food and drink during that time period.

Timings for DS begin when you leave your permanent duty station and end as soon as you are fed through service sources or return to your permanent duty station.

Night Subsistence (NS)

RECEIPTED NS is paid for an overnight absence where there is no suitable Service accommodation

provided. NS is re-imbursement of actual expenditure, up to the NS limit for costs necessarily incurred for overnight accommodation, food and drink.

In cases where NS is paid, hotel accommodation should be booked through the DHRS, otherwise the amount you can claim back is considerably less.

Incidental Expenses (IE)

NON-RECEIPTED IE is designed to cover the cost of necessary personal incidental expenses incurred

when an overnight absence requires temporary accommodation. You must be away from your permanent duty station for at least 24 hours to claim. IE is not payable when you are on Exercise and field conditions have been granted. IE is not payable when you are in service accommodation but are not paying for either

food or accommodation or both. IE is currently payable at a rate of £5.00 per 24 hour period in the UK.

Motor Mileage Allowance (MMA)

NON-RECEIPTED Payable for mileage when you have used your own vehicle for duty purposes. You must obtain a certificate of Non-Availability of Service Transport and budgetary

authorisation to be eligible to claim.


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Courses – when you use your own vehicle for the initial journey to and the final journey from a course location, you can claim MMA.

Official Journeys – when you use your vehicle for official journeys such as collection of stores.

Parking, Toll and Transportation Fees

RECEIPTED Designed to cover the cost of parking fees, toll fees and rail and bus fares when you

have been required to pay for them yourself. HOW DO YOU CLAIM? Obtain JS JPA Form F016 and complete relevant parts. Make sure you sign it yourself. If

you have access to JPA online, you can submit claims on JPA. Attach all relevant paperwork including all receipts and any authorisation (non-availability

certificates etc). You will only be able to make a claim if you have submitted all relevant paperwork –

e.g. course joining instructions. Hand into Unit HR for processing. HOW LONG DO CLAIMS TAKE? Assuming all paperwork was correctly completed and all receipts attached, once

authorised by the PSAO and entered onto JPA by Unit HR, claims are normally paid within 3 working days.

They are paid directly into your nominated main pay bank account. WHAT PAPERWORK DO I NEED TO KEEP AFTERWARDS? Once your claim has been submitted on JPA, you will receive a copy of all the paperwork,

including a print out from JPA showing what you are to be paid. You must keep this for a minimum of 2 years.

If you are called for audit, you will be required to produce all paperwork. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE AUDITED? You will be given a certain amount of time to produce any paperwork if you are called-

forward for audit. During the audit, the paperwork will be independently checked to ensure the legitimacy of

the claim. Failure to produce the correct paperwork will result in your claim being taken back off you

directly from your main pay account and could also result in disciplinary action being taken against you.

If, during the audit, there is any reason for the independent checker to suspect a

fraudulent claim they will further investigate the claim. If it proves to be an illegitimate


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claim, the monies will be taken back from your main pay account and disciplinary action will be taken.

NATO RANK STRUCTURES

ROYAL NAVY ROYAL MARINES BRITISH ARMY ROYAL AIR FORCE

Officer Ranks

OF4 Commander Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Wing Commander

OF 3 Lieutenant

Commander

Major Major Squadron Leader

OF 2 Lieutenant Captain Captain Flight Lieutenant

OF 1 Sub Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant Flying Officer

Ordinary Ranks

OR

9

Warrant Officer Warrant Officer 1 Warrant Officer 1 Warrant Officer

OR

8

Warrant Officer 2 Warrant Officer 2 Warrant Officer 2 -

OR

7

Chief Petty

Officer

Staff Sergeant Staff Sergeant Flight Sergeant

OR

6/5

Petty Officer Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant

OR

4

Leading Rate Corporal Corporal Corporal

OR

3

- Lance Corporal Lance Corporal -

OR

2

Able Rate Marine Private Senior/Leading

Aircraftman

Aircraftman

OR

1

- - - -

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DEPLOYMENTS If you are warned off for a deployment, you must ensure the following is checked, completed or obtained. We have devised a Deployment Pack, which all personnel must collect from Unit HR Admin and complete prior to attending RTMC. ITEM

CHECKED BY (print & sign)

DATE

Deployment Warning Order Issued/Received - you must ensure that as soon as you are warned off for an Operational tour, you obtain official notification of your deployment.

Flight Confirmed - you must ensure that your flight has been booked and a confirmation received. You will also need a copy of your flight booking in order to board you flight as it forms your ticket.

Stores issued - make sure that any extra kit you were not issued, is issued to you. Particularly your Helmet and Body Armour as you will not be permitted to board the flight without them.

Emergency Contact Verified - you MUST ensure prior to leaving 155 Regt that you have confirmed the details we hold on JPA for you are correct. This is particularly important due to deploying in theatre.

Bank Details Checked - make sure the details we hold on JPA for your main bank details are correct.

Power of Attorney - if you wish someone to have access to your main pay account whilst you are on operational tour, ensure you have nominated a PoA. This should ideally be your NoK or EC, however please ensure it is someone you know well and trust.

ID Card Checked - ensure ID card is serviceable and the photograph is recognisable.

Passport Checked - ensure there is sufficient validity left on the passport to last until the end of the tour.

Personal Accident & Life - ensure you have adequate Personal Accident & Life Insurance for your needs. We recommend RPAX, however please ensure whatever you have covers you during armed conflicts. Both RPAX and PAX brochures are available from your HR Administrator.

Kit Insurance - ensure you have adequate Kit Insurance for your needs. There are a number of companies dealing with military kit insurance (Abacus, Forces Financial, PAX and Towergate Wilson).

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Portfolio_ReservistGuideToPersonalAdministration