Resettlement Funding Clarified

Quest has received a number of questions recently from Service leavers and training providers asking for clear guidance on two issues:

• The rules for taking resettlement training overseas

• A simple explanation of how subsistence allowances work.

To answer the first query, we spoke with the Director of Resettlement who gave us the following clarification on the criteria for the MoD paying for resettlement training overseas:

‘The MoD has a responsibility to ensure that public money spent on resettlement training is used wisely and in a manner that can be fully justified. As a result of a review carried out in January, the Director of Resettlement issued clarification of the policy for approval of applications to conduct resettlement training overseas.

The key issue was the need to take into account the full costs of such training to the MoD, including the associated costs of food, accommodation and travel, compared to those for equivalent training available in the United Kingdom or, in the case of those serving overseas, in the proximity of their home base. All submissions for resettlement training overseas are now subject to scrutiny by the single Service Resettlement Authority headquarters staffs and will only be approved if they meet the guiding principle that either:

• No equivalent training providing a comparable legitimate training outcome is available locally or, in the case of personnel serving overseas, in the United Kingdom (for personnel serving in the United Kingdom, "locally" means the entire United Kingdom), or

• It can be demonstrated that the total cost to the MoD of the training overseas, including eligible Subsistence Allowances and travel costs that will be claimed under current regulations, are no greater than those incurred undertaking comparable training with a comparable legitimate training outcome in the United Kingdom.

A few words of explanation might be useful in guiding Service leavers’ decision to apply for resettlement training overseas: it is important to understand what is meant by the phrase "comparable legitimate training outcome." Firstly, the training must be legal and what it delivers as an outcome must appropriate to the Service leaver’s Personal Resettlement Plan. Secondly, the funding at public expense of recreational activity as part of resettlement is indefensible, so applying to learn to surf in Hawaii is unlikely to succeed! And thirdly, if the comparable outcomes – usually paper qualifications – can be achieved through less expensive training in the United Kingdom, then training overseas would need to be compellingly justified. An example where a case might be made is if the training in the United Kingdom was so sensitive to weather or other environmental factors that there was significant risk the intended training outcome could not be achieved, whereas it could be guaranteed if it were undertaken overseas.

Each case will be judged on its own merit but Service leavers who intend to apply should do so well in advance of the course to ensure a decision is made, one way or the other, in time. Such applications must be raised at least six weeks before the course joining date – and complying with the above guidelines will improve their chances of success.’

To answer the second question we asked the Army’s Adjutant General’s Department to explain subsistence allowances, and they in turn consulted the MoD who very kindly came up with the answers. However, it must be understood that there may be minor differences in the application of these statements between single Services and even between different units of the same Service. In this respect, resettlement is no different to many other aspects of life in the Armed Forces.

‘Resettlement funding consists of two separate elements – Individual Resettlement Training Costs (IRTC), paid by the individual’s single Service, and allowances for subsistence (food and accommodation) and travel which are also paid by the individual’s single Service according to rules and entitlement scales. IRTC is a flat-rate grant of £534 towards the training costs of the course being undertaken. If the training takes place on an approved course run by the Resettlement Training Centre at Aldershot, 5 per cent of IRTC will be deducted for each day spent on a contract-funded course up to a maximum of 20 working days.

Subsistence allowances are the same for resettlement as they are for all other Service activities. Each single Service has its own rules, because they actually find the money for subsistence, but they are essentially the same. Significantly, most payments now are for ‘actuals’ – a receipt to show that the sum of money has actually been spent (or will be spent) for the purpose for which it is claimed. And these bills must be presented when the claim is made. The days of sleeping in a car and claiming the money for a hotel are long gone!

If no Service accommodation is readily available, because none exists close to the course venue or the available accommodation is full, an individual may either book accommodation through the Central Hotel Booking Service (CHBS), or they may find their own accommodation. If the CHBS is used (the option encouraged by the Services), the ‘actual’ bill for bed and breakfast will be accepted by the system, even if it is more than the maximum allowance. If students book their own accommodation, they may claim up to the maximum amount permitted – again on production of the bills.

If it is necessary, for the conduct of a course, for students to use accommodation provided by the course supplier, this is acceptable. However, the accommodation provided must be of a reasonable standard to support the costs incurred. The maximum subsistence rates are shown below, and the actuals claimed must, unless for bed and breakfast accommodation booked through the CHBS, fall within this maximum ceiling.

Maximum allowance rates at present are:

Bed & breakfast (accommodation with breakfast) £53

UK day subsistence (all other meals – lunch/tea/supper) £21

Incidental expenses (newspapers etc) £5 (£10 overseas)

People may also stay with a friend at a flat rate of £25 a day which includes all meals and accommodation.

Service leavers attending resettlement training are strongly advised to check their entitlement before making any arrangements so that they get best value for money and that they know just how much money they can spend on this vital part of their personal development.’