Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command
NAVY COMMAND
Navy Command Headquarters
Captain G L Doyle Royal Navy
UK NLR
USA 31 October 2011
Dear Gary,
1. Thank you for your letter of 11 October providing data on the scope of the problems that those serving in the US have obtaining competitive car insurance on their return to the UK. I asked the DNPS Pay, Pensions & Allowances team to investigate the issue. It would appear that this issue does not impact those serving in Europe but does affect all those serving for more than 2 years in the rest of the world.
2. The PPA team maintain links with the UK Insurance industry via the Services Insurance & Investment Advisory Panel. I intend to write to the Chairman of SIIAP outlining your case, and that of others, and to seek their assistance in finding a solution. Hopefully at least one of the major insurance providers will see the benefit of allowing military personnel serving overseas to resume their previous UK no claims bonus on return home.
3. Additionally, this issue falls squarely within the scope of the Military Covenant. The PPA team have also approached the DCDS Personnel desk officer with responsibility for the Covenant to see what can be achieved down that route. Obviously we will keep you apprised of developments.
4. You raised the issue of the loss that people incur when appointing plans cut across mobile phone contracts. Disturbance allowance compensates individuals for a wide variety of costs incurred when moving within the UK and to and from an international assignment. This allowance includes an element for expenses for telephone contracts.
5. Finally, you raised the issue of the recovery period for advances of pay. With the exception of Long Service Advance of Pay for house purchase, all advances of pay are recovered over a maximum of 12 months. There are occasions that require the individual to repay the sum at a rate greater than the equivalent of 4 days pay per month. In these cases the individual will provide written confirmation that they understand the level of the repayments in respect of the advance will be greater than the equivalent of 4 days pay per month.
Yours ever,