Information - NFF

Amendment to the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme –
Payment of Bereavement Grants to Eligible Children
Information
The Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) makes provision to pay bereavement grants to a surviving spouse,
civil partner or surviving adult dependant (‘surviving partner’) where the death of the individual was due to Service.
The grant is paid to supplement the Death in Service lump sum payable under
the Armed Forces Pension Schemes (AFPS). The amount of bereavement
grant payable depends on which Armed Forces Pension Scheme the member
belonged to. The AFPS 1975 makes provision to award a lump sum,
depending on individual circumstances, to an eligible child where there is no
surviving partner.
A recent case has highlighted that sometimes where a child receives the
AFPS lump sum and an AFCS Child Payment, he/she is not eligible for
an AFCS bereavement grant. This was not seen as fair and MOD plan
to change the AFCS rules to allow such payments. This change will be
included as part of a package of otherwise minor legislative amendments
to the Scheme.
In the meantime they will be applying this change to previous AFCS
cases of this type, on an exceptional, one-off basis, over the next few
months, as they undertake the exercise to re-visit all previous AFCS
awards and uplift them in line with the Boyce Review changes.
HMS HEROES
HMS Heroes was formed in 2010 as a support
network made up of pupils from primary and
secondary schools across Plymouth who have
parents or carers in the Armed Forces. It is
co-ordinated by Plymouth City Council’s Services
for Children and Young People and provides
practical help and advice to Service children
ranging from 7 to 14 years old.
The group started life as a pilot, funded using a
Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning grant,
awarded by the former Department for Children,
Schools and Families. As the group’s success grew,
further funding and sponsorship from the RBL and
Serco has been secured.
HMS HEROES has already attracted national
interest from the Defence Directorate Children
and Young People, who recognise the power of
children supporting each other and their families.
The group’s achievements to date include:
designing a school passport for all Service children,
challenging their local councillor, questioning
their local MP and taking part in major events
such as the March for Honour, Remembrance
Sunday and, most recently, Plymouth Blitz 70
commemorations.
In June this year the children took part in a special
church service at St Nicholas Church in HMS
DRAKE to dedicate a new flag designed by the
children using the Royal British Legion’s flag along
with the HMS HEROES logo.
Throughout autumn, the standard will be hosted in
each of the schools involved with HMS HEROES,
where children will have a ‘hands on’ opportunity
to learn the history and handling of standards from
the Royal British Legion team of standard bearers.
Around six per cent of school pupils in the city
have parents or carers who serve in the Armed
Forces, with some schools having more than 30
percent. (This figure does not include pupils who
have siblings and other relatives serving in the
Armed Forces.)
Anyone interested in joining the group should
email heather.ogburn@plymouth.gov.uk.
Service Personnel and Veterans Agency
– Removal of Agency Status
The Service Personnel and Veteran Ageny (SPVA) has had a slight change in that it has ceased
to be classed as an ‘Executive Agency’ because of running costs incurred by being an Agency
such as annual report, audit work and governance structures.
Although no longer an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Defence, SPVA will keep its identity
and logo that helps to maintain its association with ex-Service charities and organisations. This
will avoid the unnecessary expenditure associated with re-branding.
SPVA provides:
• Personnel administration services and accurate payment
of pay, allowances through the tri-Service administration
system, known as Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) and
pensions (War or Armed Forces) to the serving and Veterans
communities
• Armed Forces Compensation Scheme, including recent changes
• Medals Office • Veterans Welfare
For further
information on SPVA
telephone 0800 169
2277 or visit
www.veterans-uk.
info
Refurbished SFA
in Fareham
More than £7m is being spent on modernising Service
Families Accommodation (SFA) on the Peak Lane Estate
in Fareham.
Defence Infrastructure Organisation, part of The Ministry
of Defence, is refurbishing 195 homes. Improvements
include new kitchens and bathrooms with thermostatic
showers, better loft insulation, new curtains, carpets and
flooring and new internal doors. The homes also have
new, energy-efficient central heating and have been
re-wired and re-decorated.
The latest round of refurbishments is the second phase
of upgrades for the Peak Lane area; 55 properties have
already been modernised and have families living in
them.
HOMEPORT AUTUMN 2011 29