Cpl Denied accomodation during three day move?

[Cornish_Pikey]

Hi All,

I've been trawling the JSPs and have found that you are entitled to hotel accomodation during the time you are made homeless when you are being posted and have to move out of your current quarter and before you get your new one.
The book states that unless suitable service accomodation exists then you can claim for hotel accomodation for your wife and kids.

However, at a northern tonka base one of my guys has been told that a 'local policy' has been put in place effectively banning the use of hotels.

Has anyone else had this happen. It seems that PSF have no idea about the rules and have said that his is a special case!!!

It seems he's the first Junior to be married with kids to be ever posted back down south??

Any ideas, I've suggested that he books a Premier Inn or similar at each end and claim it back on JPA with reference to all the JSPs and he should be fine.

Thoughts anyone??

 

[TABETX AND SEND]

Unless he books through the DHRS (Hotel Booking Service) he will not be able to claim anything as you have to quote their reference number in your claim. And yes I believe he can get some nights in a hotel for posting. What policy rules are your Tonka base working to? If it is in the JSP and it is all legit there can be no problem can there. But then again you are dealing with HR personnel who always refer you to JPACC when everything becomes to difficult nowadays.DT_Xtremez_09:

 

[muttywhitedog]

He should be given No 1 priority status for use of a contact house, both at his departure and arrival address.

If there's no contact house then a non-availability chit should be issued. A travelodge or Premier Inn-type hotel should then be booked through Hogg Robinson.

I take it this is all happening on his relocation leave, or is that something else he's entitled to that the adminers dont want to tell him.....

If its the wonky-eyed bint in PSF there that's being obstructive, give her a slap - she deserves it just for breathing.

 

[killerball]

Odd

Odd

Last time i got posted between units and therefore MQ's

I had to go in transit for two weeks at my new unit, waiting for the new quarter, is transit not available to you?

I then rec'd the allowances applicable for serving unaccompanied and added into that a two week break from wife and kids

 

[True Blue Jack]

One of the problems here is the interpretation of "suitable service accommodation". The last time I tried to fight this on behalf of someone I was advised (by the single-service predecessor of JPAC PACC) that if the individual had the keys to a married quarter and the roof was still on, then that was "suitable". When I asked about furniture, the answer was that DE would provide furniture and/or a get-you-in pack if required. The Army had a much more liberal definition of "suitable" so you may have more luck if you fight it now - because we all know the "J" in any acronym stands for "Army"!

The other problem, which may be much harder to overcome, is that units currently have to apply spending restrictions on travel and subsistence as directed by HQ AIR. As we have seen from Vim's recent thread on hotel accommodation while on a course, some units are being more hardline than others but that is the unit's prerogative. Even if your guy just books a hotel and puts the claim in on JPA afterwards it will be workflowed to the previous unit (as the paying UIN) for authorisation, who will presumably reject it. Unfortunately the word "entitlement" doesn't seem to carry much weight at the moment because it is trumped by Stns' need to reduce expenditure.

I know this isn't what you wanted to hear. To be honest, except when posted back to the UK from overseas (when much happier rules applied) I have always slept on the floor for my last couple of nights before handing over the old married quarter and seeing the furniture into the new one. Unless your guy has very young children or some other welfare reason why this would just be unworkable he may want to consider doing the same rather than risk being out of pocket.

 

[Cornish_Pikey]

My thoughts were that if he put a load of JSP references then the allowances would look at the claim and read said references and have a little bit of common sense and give him his dough.

Why should his family have to suffer a camp on the floor of an unfurnished house due to his posting. Once you've cleaned the house for march out the last thing you want to do is have to use the showers/bathroom and get the house cleaned up to standard before the DE people come in and try to charge him for whatever they want.

Would you call a night on the floor of your lounge suitable rest before a 12 hour drive from the north of scotland to southern england??
I don't.

Thoughts again??

 

[Tashy_Man]

My thoughts were that if he put a load of JSP references then the allowances would look at the claim and read said references and have a little bit of common sense and give him his dough.

Why should his family have to suffer a camp on the floor of an unfurnished house due to his posting. Once you've cleaned the house for march out the last thing you want to do is have to use the showers/bathroom and get the house cleaned up to standard before the DE people come in and try to charge him for whatever they want.

Would you call a night on the floor of your lounge suitable rest before a 12 hour drive from the north of scotland to southern england??
I don't.

Thoughts again??

Well nope it ain't right but what options are open to him.......sleep on a floor (as you said) .
Get a room at a local hostel to rest his head
or
Travel down with no rest, crash at some un-opportune moment and at best have the chance to redress the cock who would not clear the funds for a night in a hotel.....Obviously before travelling you have to send letters to all dickheads involved so if the worst does happen then can be done for manslaughter.

IMHO everyone should do this before moving as it is their responsibility

Crack on..............DT_Xtremez_09:

 

[Cornish_Pikey]

Last time i got posted between units and therefore MQ's

I had to go in transit for two weeks at my new unit, waiting for the new quarter, is transit not available to you?

I then rec'd the allowances applicable for serving unaccompanied and added into that a two week break from wife and kids

Of course transit is available, but his wife and child isn't allowed to use transit as it is SERVICE accomodation.

Maybe they should get a hotel for the family and he could stay in the block?

We do have a welfare house here but if he pre-books then he isn't top priority and could be kicked out at a moments notice if someone drank too much Tennants Export and had a barney with the wifey!!!

Cheers for the help.

I haven't seen a black and white copy of the 'policy' of not giving out hotel accomodation yet. I'd like to fight this but I am posted this week. I get a nice warm cosy room in the old folks home with a huge breakfast thrown in for good measure.

 

[Realist78]

Of course transit is available, but his wife and child isn't allowed to use transit as it is SERVICE accomodation.

Maybe they should get a hotel for the family and he could stay in the block?

We do have a welfare house here but if he pre-books then he isn't top priority and could be kicked out at a moments notice if someone drank too much Tennants Export and had a barney with the wifey!!!

Cheers for the help.

I haven't seen a black and white copy of the 'policy' of not giving out hotel accomodation yet. I'd like to fight this but I am posted this week. I get a nice warm cosy room in the old folks home with a huge breakfast thrown in for good measure.

Hope you're not going pay as you starve then!

 

[Cornish_Pikey]

Hope you're not going pay as you starve then!

Oh no I'm going to a great Grade four house with the wife. All the money I'm saving will keep me in as many sausages as I can comfprtably manage.

PAYD is another thread, don't even go there.

 

[KingGuin]

Let me know how it goes. I've spent many a pre-march out night on a camp bed in an unfurnished house with a car packed in the drive ready to do gangster wheels after the march out.

 

[passedoverat46]

Just moved overseas and got 4 nights as it was over a Sunday, iaw allowances JSP.

Write email to claims authoriser and state your intentions iaw JSP and seek approval. If they deny you keep the email in hard copy and discuss submitting Service Complaint with Chf Clk, usually works.

In addition to the B&B booked through travel cell, there is NS. The key is that your Qtr is unavailable/unsuitable. No furniture = unsuitable.