DND halts millions in benefits

[the 48th regulator]

http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2011/02/01/military-benefits.html

DND halts millions in benefits

Last Updated: Tuesday, February 1, 2011 | 6:02 PM ET
CBC News

Vice-Admiral Bruce Donaldson says the unauthorized benefit payments were the result of an erroneous 'interpretation' at the Department of National Defence.Vice-Admiral Bruce Donaldson says the unauthorized benefit payments were the result of an erroneous 'interpretation' at the Department of National Defence. (CBC)The Canadian military says an error at the Department of National Defence resulted in tens of millions of dollars worth of benefit payments paid to up to 7,000 service members over the last five years.

The benefits include the Defence Department's use of taxpayer dollars to bring families of fallen soldiers killed in Afghanistan to repatriation ceremonies, which did not receive proper approval from the Treasury Board.

The DND payments will be cut off at midnight Tuesday while the military reviews the benefit assessments and payment process, said Vice-Admiral Bruce Donaldson, vice-chief of the defence staff.

In a hastily arranged news conference at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, Donaldson said an internal review determined DND officials mistakenly changed internal eligibility policies for benefits offered to military posted outside Canada and their next of kin.

The unauthorized benefits also include next-of-kin visits to Afghanistan, travel fee reimbursements for troops deployed to different parts of Canada, bonuses for overseas postings and allowances for soldiers assigned away from families.
'We didn't do our homework'

Donaldson stressed the error was the result of an "interpretation" by military administrators over eligibility for payments, and servicemen and women who received the benefits did not do anything wrong.

"Canadian Forces members are not to be blamed for this oversight," Donaldson said. "We didn't do our homework."

The military is now seeking Treasury Board approval for these costs. In addition, the costs for any future next-of-kin visits will be paid out of a non-public fund.

Donaldson stressed Canadian servicemen and women will not see cuts on their paycheques, but acknowledged they will have to wait for future payments until the process is sorted out.

He added he believes it will have a minimal impact on soldiers currently deployed to Afghanistan.

"Every effort is being made to rectify this situation," Donaldson said.

So far, no one is facing disciplinary action, he added.

Copyright © CBC 2011

 

[dapaterson]

Winnipeg Sun:

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/breakingnews/soldier-bonuses-allowances-and-perks-suspended-after-spending-problem-at-dnd-115050354.html

TTAWA - Thousands of Canadian Forces members have been cut off from a myriad of perks after the Defence Department discovered it has been dishing out millions in benefits without proper authorization.

The benefits fall into four categories, including bonuses for out-of-country postings, separation allowances for soldiers with long-term assignments away from families, travel expenses and cash paid to relatives of soldiers killed overseas.

Vice-Admiral Bruce Donaldson, the vice-chief of defence staff, says the mistake was spotted following a recent internal review.

The payments, amounting to "tens of millions of dollars," have been made over the last five years and the military has launched an investigation.

Donaldson says the benefits were not spelled out in detail amid federal Treasury Board guidelines and the payments must cease while the department gets the regulations updated.

Up to 7,000 members of the regular and reserve force are affected, but Donaldson said it should have minimal impact on troops in Afghanistan.

 

[cudmore]

I was at the newser.  Should be a canforgen out by now.  Also, it seems there could have been a series of briefings at bases across the  country.

 

[SupersonicMax]

Anybody has more info on what exactly is going to be affected?

 

[dapaterson]

All the info should be pushed down the chain of command shortly.

 

[cudmore]

There are about 12 categories of benefits. 
Some of them include:
- Car storage fees for soldiers on Class B postings.
- Leave Travel Assistance (for non-Afghanistan postings) is only for you to go home.  Not for your spouse to come to you, or for the two of you to meet in Montreal (even if that last one is cheaper).

 

[Occam]

- Leave Travel Assistance (for non-Afghanistan postings) is only for you to go home.  Not for your spouse to come to you, or for the two of you to meet in Montreal (even if that last one is cheaper).

Say what?  Reverse LTA and third location LTA have been around for years.  I utilized Reverse LTA to bring the dragon to Greece in 1993...and I'm sure the policy was around a long time before that...

 

[cudmore]

Occam,
I can't pretend to be an expert on this one.  But, it seems the LTA rules that were bent apply to domestic duty postings, and perhaps some overseas non-mission postings (I'm making up a new lingo here. I know).  That's to say, if you went to Afghanistan or to a UN mission in the Middle East, having the spouse come meet you in London is okay.  If you're posted to Fort Bragg for nine months, having your spouse come meet you in NYC is not okay.

 

[Brasidas]

Occam,
I can't pretend to be an expert on this one.  But, it seems the LTA rules that were bent apply to domestic duty postings, and perhaps some overseas non-mission postings (I'm making up a new lingo here. I know).

What's your source on the LTA specifics?

 

[cudmore]

I will admit I could be a bit wet on the specifics, but LTA (roughly) as I described it, was an example provided in person at the briefing today by a DG in Chief of Military Personnel office.
Apparently mission-focused LTA arrangements are governed under different rules.  But duty in Canada and overseas, otherwise, are not.

 

[George Wallace]

Jeeessse!  It sure doesn`t take long for the facts and rumours to become all convoluted.

 

[meni0n]

Allowances for soldiers assigned away from families.

Is that IR  or separation allowance?

 

[jeffb]

Donaldson says other benefits were also not spelled out in detail and it unclear how long it will take to get changes made. It's unclear whether any of the expenses will be clawed back, but Donaldson said the military is seeking retroactive approval for what has spent.

At least the intent isn't to claw back everything.

 

[Navalsnpr]

Can't wait to read the CANFORGEN!!

 

[Scratch_043]

Yeah, I'll be expecting it soon.

I'm guessing that it refers to separation allowance, menion.

Nic

 

[Occam]

Any word if there will be recovery action of benefits previously paid?

Look up three posts from yours.

 

[Towards_the_gap]

That horrible, keening, screeching sound I hear is the IR gravy train coming to a juddering halt......

 

[OldSolduer]

48th Regulator has in bold italics what was mentioned and that is the families of the fallen were flown/transported to Trenton without TB approval. That is one example. The other is the NOK program to KAF.

 

[aesop081]

48th Regulator has in bold italics what was mentioned and that is the families of the fallen were flown/transported to Trenton without TB approval. That is one example. The other is the NOK program to KAF.

The bolded part says that those things are "included" in what is at issue. They are not the only things.

 

[PPCLI Guy]

I'm fairly certain that the CANFORGEN will make it all clear. 

It is probably worth it to wait for clarification.