James AJ Ottaway Field Crafting Training Support Group Rt Hon Johnny Mercer 3/ I would agree ID cards are useful for charitable organisations and AF associations to avoid abuse by imposters, however, charity provision should not be the backbone of veteran support. Thats the govs job.

James AJ Ottaway Field Crafting Training Support Group Rt Hon Johnny Mercer 4/ Claiming the ID card enables easier access to health & housing is misleading. It clearly hasnt been designed for that. Thats my issue with it. (Tho walt clearout in local clubs & associations is very welcome - caveat: 1 day served walt can still claim Para credentials 🙄).

ChrisPdippers 🇺🇦🇬🇧 AJ Ottaway Field Crafting Training Support Group Rt Hon Johnny Mercer 4. It has been designed to prove veteran status v simply & easily. Veterans asked for a way to do this & also wanted a tangible link to their service. I use mine to register at GP, dentist, as ID @ MoD & govt departments & in various shops that give veteran discount. Works for me

James AJ Ottaway Field Crafting Training Support Group Rt Hon Johnny Mercer Congratulations on your 1 day of service 😉 James can I ask (free to refuse of course as hugely personal) but did you receive your AF pension when you left service?

ChrisPdippers 🇺🇦🇬🇧 AJ Ottaway Field Crafting Training Support Group Rt Hon Johnny Mercer Yep, pension kicked in, why?

James AJ Ottaway Field Crafting Training Support Group Rt Hon Johnny Mercer Its crops up often. A huge number of later gen vets just didnt have lack of pension provision on their radar when they signed up. 1/70th of annual AF earnings, paid at age 67/8, just wasnt on their radar & an assumption of being looked after if career cut short is common.

ChrisPdippers 🇺🇦🇬🇧 AJ Ottaway Field Crafting Training Support Group Rt Hon Johnny Mercer £Millions in unclaimed preserved pensions at 60/65
forcespensionsociety.org/2022/11/vetera…
Must apply 3-6 months before it is due to come into payment, it does not get paid to you automatically.

Apply by completing an AFPS Form 8 and submitting it to Veterans UK at Glasgow

James ChrisPdippers 🇺🇦🇬🇧 AJ Ottaway Field Crafting Training Support Group Rt Hon Johnny Mercer The state pension is processed automatically upon retirement age. There is no reason why the MOD cannot do the same.

The only reason for the MOD to fail to do so is to save money by denying veterans the money they are entitled to.

Charlie Radclyffe ChrisPdippers 🇺🇦🇬🇧 AJ Ottaway Field Crafting Training Support Group Rt Hon Johnny Mercer Charlie you know that is not true.

Bureaucratic inertia & incompetence trumps sinister conspiracy every time!

However, I agree the system needs modernisng.

But whilst we are where we are, the best we can do is spread the word to ensure vets get what they are entitled to

Charlie Radclyffe ChrisPdippers 🇺🇦🇬🇧 AJ Ottaway Field Crafting Training Support Group Rt Hon Johnny Mercer Literally just been having this discussion with Forces Pension Society, IVA & other commissioners
Gov kind find you when they want to tax you, so they should be able to get a pension payment to you at 60/65! We all have NI numbers.

James Charlie Radclyffe ChrisPdippers 🇺🇦🇬🇧 AJ Ottaway Field Crafting Training Support Group Rt Hon Johnny Mercer Forces Pension Society Imagine having a ist of 22,000 nuclear test veterans, checking it every year against the cancer and death register for stats, but not using it to inform veterans of a medal award. Instead you have to apply. This is the MoD today.