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Benefits Cut...

Allow me one pedantic moment here …
Imposed Restriction (IR) is not being changed.  Separation Expense (SE) is being changed.
Changes to SE will impact upon pers on IR amongst many others.

Twenty seven pages into this thread and there are many who still use the terms IR and SE interchangeably.  They are not the same thing.  Words and terms have specific meanings, and people need to use the words that say what the communicator really to mean.  Maybe it seems trivial to some, but we are probably in the current situation, at least in part, because of sloppy vernacular.  When the responsible administrators and strategic advisors colloquially refer to all pers receiving SE as being on “IR status” then it becomes very easy to forget or overlook the fact that “IR status” actually includes many pers and situations that are not actually IR.  I suspect someone may caught the implications of slashing SE prior to the decision had we been more accurate, institutionally, in saying what we mean.

IR has many problems, and they will all continue to exist though at smaller cost.  At the same time, changes to SE have introduced problems for those pers who have had no choice or control on their situation.

PMedMoe said:
One thing I'd like to mention is people saying that they will be "losing" the amount of SE from their "paycheque".  To be correct, you are not.  SE is an allowance (or benefit) and not part of your pay. 
Is SE a benefit, or is it compensation for the additional costs of being separated from F&E?  So, to be correct, pers are not losing money from their pay checks but they are loosing money out of their pockets as they assume these additional costs.  In the case of prohibited postings and unaccompanied pers, they are paying from their pockets to cover costs deriving from the exigencies of service.  In other words, the government has transferred the costs of its decisions down to the members.

Donny said:
Whats TD?
John_NL said:
Wondering mainly what the difference is between IR and TD.
Pers on TD (0 to 6 months) or attached posted (0 to 12 months) are compensated under the Canadian Forces Temporary Duty Travel Instruction (CFTDTI).  Pers on IR (6 to 24 months in concept, 0 to infinity in practice), prohibited posting (0 to infinity) or unaccompanied (0 to 6 months) are compensated through SE.  CFTDTI is intended to compensate for temporary separations while SE is intended to compensate for semi-permanent to permanent separations.

Strike said:
People need to remember that this is NOT the fault of the CF.  This change was mandated by TSB, of which the CF has no control, so it does no good to go blaming the CoC for this.
DND and the CF advise TB.  TB can then choose to take or leave the advice.  Really, we (those of us neither involved in advising TB nor working within TB) cannot know that blame does not rest somewhere in the CF.  It is possible that these changes are the “good idea” of someone in uniform.

Tony Manifold said:
… I would sleep a lot better at night if I knew, officially, uncle Walt and the gang recognized the situation and we're working on it.
For the same reason we cannot know if the CF was the cause of these changes, we cannot know if the CF is fighting to reverse them.

That being said, every level that I have been observed at base, unit and formation levels seems to suggest that the leadership understands the huge impact of these changes, and all levels are working to mitigate this impact on individual members.

Journeyman said:
This isn't aimed specifically at TM, but rather at the "collective" who have managed to spend 24 pages (with no end in sight) with precious little useful advice for the way ahead.
I will give this another shot:
  • Amend Sect 3.01 of the CFTDTIs to extend benefits to unaccompanied pers as this is intended to be a temporary status not exceeding 6 months
  • In the case of untrained personnel, the option exists to enrol them into a local BTL and then attach post those members to the successive schools required to get to OFP.  At any point in time when the member is likely to remain under control of the same school/TE for 12 or more months, then the member will receive a restricted posting.
  • Attached postings could also replace other uses of prohibited postings domestically.
  • Limit IR to two years with a third year extension on approval of CMP
  • Revisit the reduction of SE to find a more appropriate middle ground between what has been and what is coming into force.
  • Introduce an “evenings & weekends” rations rate that would allow pers living in shacks to get supper seven days a week, and brunch on all weekends and holidays – recognizing that many pers eat lunch in the workplace and prefer smaller non-hot breakfasts during those same days.
  • Invest in new singles quarters that meet the published standards of accommodation (why are we currently building Yukon Lodges all over the country to satisfy a requirement for more transient quarters when the existing permanent quarters meet the transient standard but fall sort of the permanent standard?)
 
One quick thing. You are incorrect. IR is being changed.
EFFECTIVE 1 SEP 12, THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS UNDER THE CANADIAN
FORCES INTEGRATED RELOCATION PROGRAM (CFIRP) AND CB1 208 SHALL CEASE
FOR ALL CF MEMBERS:
 
Tony Manifold said:
One quick thing. You are incorrect. IR is being changed.


*facepalm*

Imposed Restriction and Integrated Relocation are two different "IR's"

Lol.
 
Tony Manifold said:
One quick thing. You are incorrect. IR is being changed.

Your use of "IR" as "Integrated Relocation" is disingenuous at best.
 
Rumor mill says there may be a CANFORGEN coming that delays the meal cuts. Take it for what it is, rumor mill.
 
I am for one, against the changes to the SE benefit. Even though I know it has been abused, there is no reason to punish people for being separated from their families.

Before I joined I remember that it was one of the questions that I asked. If I had to pay for rations having a spouse (since rations were overpriced from my perspective). I do not even believe that single people should need to pay for them either, but that's just wishful thinking. They were very clear that whenever I was separated from my spouse I would not have to pay for rations. If I would have had to pay for them during basic training, I would have not have been able to join due to my financial situation at the time. I'm sure this decision will prevent a lot of applications for married/common-law couples as stated before by other members.

The SE allowance benefit was helpful, but to be honest I never knew about it until I was going basic training. It is something I could have lived without, since I never really put it as part of my budget. Luckily for me my spouse was able to move to Halifax with me (she had to transfer her studies from Ottawa). The most important thing is for her to finish her education, which she will be unable to do if I get posted somewhere else before she completes her studies (unlikely though).

People in the higher ranks and higher salaries will more likely be able to cope with these issues more easily. I really worry about those that are just beginning their trainings. Especially those still at basic, since they really have no way of moving their spouses at all. If these had happened while I was doing basic training I know I would have had to VR, because 550 out of my pocket was something that was paying for 80% of my rent at home.

What needs to be done at the very least is let people move their families with them despite their restriction, and those who can't for any reason should be provided with better accommodations (a place that at least has a kitchen), so that they can pay reasonable prices for food.

However, this will probably cost more money so I doubt it will happen. I hope the right decisions are taken, otherwise I'm sure we will be losing a lot of good people in our ranks.
 
In protest I'm eating as much food as I can manage on my IR funded meal card until it's canceled 1 Sept.


Last night for supper I had 7 delicious Cajan chicken breasts with an over filled salad.  I had so much cheese the guy behind me said hey asshole leave some cheese for everyone else.






Now without IR meal plans,  instead of chicken breast and high protein foods (for getting big and strong) I'll be eating rice bread crumbs and sadness.

This;

img4094nm.jpg


will quickly turn into this;

skinny-arm-flexing-thumb17366676.jpg





Cuts to IR will make soldiers weaker!
 
ObedientiaZelum said:
In protest I'm eating as much food as I can manage on my IR funded meal card until it's canceled 1 Sept.


Last night for supper I had 7 delicious Cajan chicken breasts with an over filled salad.  I had so much cheese the guy behind me said hey ******* leave some cheese for everyone else.






Now without IR meal plans,  instead of chicken breast and high protein foods (for getting big and strong) I'll be eating rice bread crumbs and sadness.

This;



will quickly turn into this;






Cuts to IR will make soldiers weaker!

That was a lot of work just to show off a bicep with a bad joke.
 
Not much work at all.

But by all means don't let my attempts at levity stop you from telling us about what rumors you've heard.
Rumors are exactly what people need right now.
K go
 
Dyolfknip said:
That was a lot of work just to show off a bicep with a bad joke.
I thought it was funny  :nod:

...and probably as beneficial as the overwhelming majority of posts in the preceding 26 pages...


Edited to remove some insensitivity, because I care most about those who whine the loudest.  :nod:
 
ObedientiaZelum said:
Not much work at all.

But by all means don't let my attempts at levity stop you from telling us about what rumors you've heard.
Rumors are exactly what people need right now.
K go

My bad, I should have put a ";)" I guess.
Joke still sucked though. Lol.
 
"Edited to remove some insensitivity, because I care most about those who whine the loudest. "

You get all my mil points for that one line, please..I insist!

TM
 
Senior leadership does care, expect some new announcements on Monday about the implementation of the benefit cuts. From what I saw, it pertains to the  timing of when they will come into effect. I am optimistic there will be some positive change.
 
4Feathers said:
Senior leadership does care, expect some new announcements on Monday about the implementation of the benefit cuts. From what I saw, it pertains to the  timing of when they will come into effect. I am optimistic there will be some positive change.

Careful, people get snippy around here with rumours. ;)
 
Dyolfknip said:
Careful, people get snippy around here with rumours. ;)

There is no difference at all between a member here actually seeing email traffic or physical proof of some changes to a policy  and someone "hearing a rumor" about it from an unidentified source.    ;)

Our little banter aside, people here actually DO frown upon rumors- especially spreading rumors ON this site.
It may not be a significant thing to you but if some young soldier reads your "rumor" and passes it on to someone else (as young soldiers often do) "I heard such an such at army.ca" and it proves to be right out to lunch then this message forum looses credibility.
 
ObedientiaZelum said:
There is no difference at all between a member here actually seeing email traffic or physical proof of some changes to a policy  and someone "hearing a rumor" about it from an unidentified source.    ;)

Our little banter aside, people here actually DO frown upon rumors- especially spreading rumors ON this site.
It may not be a significant thing to you but if some young soldier reads your "rumor" and passes it on to someone else (as young soldiers often do) "I heard such an such at army.ca" and it proves to be right out to lunch then this message forum looses credibility.

You assume there is some sort of decorum of "credibility" on an open forum?

Anyway, I digress. Watch and shoot, as usual.
 
Dyolfknip said:
You assume there is some sort of decorum of "credibility" on an open forum?

Yes. It's an "open forum" but we try and make sure any information posted here is as accurate as possible.
Unless it's war stores, then they tend towards exaggeration :)

Anyway, I digress. Watch and shoot, as usual.

For sure. 

 
Dyolfknip said:
You assume there is some sort of decorum of "credibility" on an open forum?

There must be.
Several thousand times the Recruiting threads have seen "go talk to a recruiter," yet still get dismissed by some dingbat saying:
Paladium said:
...just because a recruiter tells you something doesn't always make it so - much more often then not they are right buteen policies change and recruiters were unaware

Obviously anonymous internet posters have more credibility...."much more often than not."  :nod:

/tangent
 
ObedientiaZelum said:
In protest I'm eating as much food as I can manage on my IR funded meal card until it's canceled 1 Sept.


Last night for supper I had 7 delicious Cajan chicken breasts with an over filled salad.  I had so much cheese the guy behind me said hey ******* leave some cheese for everyone else.






Now without IR meal plans,  instead of chicken breast and high protein foods (for getting big and strong) I'll be eating rice bread crumbs and sadness.

This;

img4094nm.jpg


will quickly turn into this;

skinny-arm-flexing-thumb17366676.jpg





Cuts to IR will make soldiers weaker!
:salute:
 
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