Yet again the RAF lose out on money

[saltire]

This story today about the BBC's beloved Army, anyone on a 6month tour of duty in iraq or Afghanistan will benefit from council tax relief - I am assuming on their own property and not on mQ's. So yet again the RAF and their 4 month tours miss out, just like they do with the tax relief.

story here

oh yes and everything else. I have had no support from RAF when DH has been away on his detatchments because they are too short! More frequent but too short

i cant speak for all the other army wifes on here, but personally i would much rather have my dh away for only 4 months and not get any extra tax relief etc rather than have him away for 6 months and get a few extra pound in the bank.

Yes but it is 4 months away, 4 months home, 4 months away again... so 8 months in a year rather than 6 months out of a year in the army...

Some regiments within the Army do 4 month tours too and some do 4 months away and then home for a short time and then away again. Also some regiments do more than 6 months away sometimes even 7 or 8 months away. So it's not JUST the RAF that miss out.

And what would you rather have your dh away for 6 or more months or away for 4 months and home for a short time and then away again? I know what I would choose and it wouldn't be the 6 month or more tour!

I remember this first being an issue during the first Gulf war. At the time it was the poll tax, rather than council tax.

We went to a briefing on it, while the guys were out in theater. they were due to be there for 6 months. they told us that if there were out of the UK for the six moths they would be exempt from paying the poll tax.

However if they died in active service, and their body found before the six month point, we would be given a tax demand for the poll tax they had incurred while out in theater.

I asked the Station Cammander some very tough questions ie what was he doing about this issue. Oddly enough, he couldn't answer me!

For me it's not about the money - I would just have liked a bit of support, like someone to cut my grass when I was 5 weeks post caesarian

I forgot I had posted this. It wasn't meant to come across in a "we're missing out on money" sort of way, I got annoyed because IMO the RAF are always being missed out of things - its as if the Government are saying "well we know you are out there, with your jets, and ground crew, and regiment guys and police and dog sections etc etc, but sorry we don't think you are worth a council tax rebate".

it's right about the support, although I was lucky at our last post, i got lots of support, the shift were babysitting, invitign me to functions, and almost the entire shift popped rtound at some point to check i was ok.
Don't think I'll get that down here, there is no welfare of any sort down here.