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The COMBINED ARMED FORCES FEDERATION UK exists to:

- promulgate, monitor, update, negotiate and make representations to Government Ministers regarding Armed Forces Pay Levels, Pension Rights, Allowances, Life Insurance and Legal Representation etc., in relation to conditions of service.

- make representations to Government Ministers on any other related matters of concern to existing or past members of the Armed Forces.



Ere Hawke did bang Monsieur Conflans
They gave us bread and beer,
Now Monsieur’s beat we’ve naught to eat
Since they have naught to fear !
     
 LATEST NEWS    DATE POSTED 

Letter to the Forces Pension Society

Click Click here to read the Secretary General's letter regarding to the Forces Pension Society
           regarding their questionnaire and Services. here to read the Secretary General's letter to the Forces Pension Society regarding their questionnaire and services. 28th January 2012
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MEETING WITH THE SOLICITOR AND BARRISTER
29th November 2011


Following the decisions taken at the last AGM, your Chairman and Secretary General have undertaken considerable correspondence with a Solicitor and a Barrister, both being experienced in High Court matters.

This culminated in a meeting in their offices in Manchester on the 29th November.

The Lawyers accepted that your representatives had put forward a cogent argument with a sound moral and factual base, upon which a case could be considered for the High Court. In other words, it was not necessarily sufficient to claim a Miscarriage of Justice outside demonstrating a relevant legal breach.

Overall this meant our discussions were inconclusive

As Prime Minister Tony Blair said about reform of the House of Lords --- “If you put half a dozen Lawyers in a room together you could never get them to agree to anything !”
Our Membership can rest assured we intend to pursue these Legal matters, further in the New Year, in accordance with the decisions taken at the last AGM so please keep up your much appreciated support.

Finally a Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year to one and all in 2012!
Kind Regards
Chris Watkin -- Chairman
David Robson -- Secretary General
CAFF UK

23rd December 2011
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Video Conference

Apologies for the lack of information recently due to difficulties setting up a Video Conference with Chairman Chris Watkin and Counsel. We are now hoping to have our Conference to discuss Counsels Opinion and remaining issues on Tuesday next 29th November.
We hope to add our conclusions to the Web-site as soon as possible afterwards.
DAVID ROBSON
Secretary General: CAFF UK

25th November 2011
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CAFF UK Subscriptions

Please continue your support for CAFF UK. Click Click here to read the Secretary General's letter regarding this years membership subscriptions here to read a letter from the Secretary General David Robson explaining why it is so important that members continue paying subscriptions so that we can carry on our fight for justice.

15th September 2011
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Correspondence with Mike Hancock MP and Nick Clegg MP

The Secretary General's response to the Deputy Prime Ministers reply dated 22nd August 2011 is detailed in his letter to Mike Hancock MP dated 8th September. Both these letters and other correspondence can be selected from the drop down list below.

Mike Hancock Web Site Correspondence with Mike Hancock MP and Nick Clegg MP


Select an Item from the drop down list and then press 'Go'

Last Update 22nd October 2011
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Correspondence with Paul Blomfield MP

Paul Blomfield Web Site Correspondence with Paul Blomfield MP


Select an Item from the drop down list and then press 'Go'

Last Update 12th September 2011
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CAFF UK 2011 AGM



The 2011 CAFF UK AGM was held on the 19th May at the Union Jack Club in London. Click here to 
           read or print the Agendaclick here to read and print the Agenda and Click here to 
           read or print the Secretary General's AGM reportclick here to read the Secretary General's AGM report. To read the minutes of the meeting then please Click here to 
           read or print the Minutesclick here

Updated 18th July 2011

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Light at the End of the Tunnel??

Please Click here to 
           read the Secretary General's preamble to encouraging correspondence received by one of our members from Mike Hancock CBE MP click here to read the Secretary General's preamble to encouraging correspondence received by one of our members from Mike Hancock CBE MP. The letters from Mike Hancock can be accessed Click here to 
           read the letters from Mike Hancock CBE MPhere.
(Update 11/5/11) Since the above correspondence a further letter has been received from Mike Hancock. Click Click here to 
           read the Secretary General's preamble to the latest letter from Mike Hancock here to read the letter and preamble form the Secretary General CAFFUK, David Robson.

01st May 2011
Updated 11th May 2011

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Correspondence with Caroline Dinenage MP

Caroline Dinange Web Site Correspondence with Caroline Dinenage MP


Select an Item from the drop down list and then press 'Go'

Last Update 2nd June 2011
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February 2011 Update

Please Click here to 
           read the Secretary General's February 2011 update click here to read the Secretary General's February 2011 update.

28th February 2011

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December 2010 Update

Please Click here to 
           read the Secretary General's December 2010 update click here to read the Secretary General's December 2010 update.

13th December 2010

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Further Correspondence

Please Click here to 
           read the Secretary General's follow-up Letter to Caroline Dinenage click here to read a follow-up letter sent by the Secretary General CAFFUK to Caroline Dinenage MP. Two other letters are referred to in that letter, a letter to the Chief Executive, which can be viewed Click here to 
           read the letter to the Chief Executive here and a letter to Mr Glenn Duggan which can be viewed Click here to 
           read the letter to Mr Glenn Duggan here.
Click Click here to 
           read the reply from Caroline Dinanage here to read the reply from Caroline Dinenage.

4th december 2010
Updated 12th Dec 2010

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Latest Correspondence

Please Click here to 
           read the Secretary General's Letter to Caroline Dinenage click here to read the recent letter sent by the Secretary General CAFFUK to Caroline Dinenage MP. The previous letter to John Thurso referenced in the letter to Caroline Dinenage can be viewed Click here to 
           read the letter to John Thurso here.

24th November 2010

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Progress Report October 2010

Please Click here to 
           read the report click here to read a progress report from the Secretary General CAFFUK. This report references an article which can also be viewed or downloaded Click here to 
           read the report here.

11th October 2010

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Message from the Secretary General..Please write to yout MP!

I am hoping to put an article in the House of Commons Magazine drawing their attention to our Legal claims to Occupational Pensions for time served in the Armed Forces in next month’s issue. This is a Magazine which keeps MPs up to speed with what Is going on in Parliament. When you do write remember to draw their attention to the fact that there are two copies of our Researched Report in the House of Commons Library.
Keep in touch with the Web-site in the meantime and please keep up your support at this critical time.
Please Click here to 
         download the letter in WORD format click here to download my suggested letter, fill in the name of your MP above the address, add the date, address it to the MP then add your signature at the end. Don’t forget to add your own Name and Address in the top right hand corner! If you do not know the name of your MP or you think it might have changed since the recent General Election you can find out by ringing the House of Commons and asking them – 02072-193000.
(Upadate November 2010) For additional input to your letter or meeting with your MP please click Click here to 
         download the letter in WORD format here I hope this helps.
David Robson.
Sec. Gen. CAFF UK.
p.s. please forward copies of any particularly interesting or positive replies to the Secretary General.

9th June 2010
Updated 19th July 2010 and 24th November 2010

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Membership Correspondence June 2010

To read a copy of the recent letter sent out to members regarding AGM and membership itemsClick here to 
           read the letter click here.

20th June 2010

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2010 AGM Minutes

To read the minutes of the 2010 A.G.M. Click here to 
           read the report click here.

8th June 2010

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Secretary General's Report Apr 2010

To read the Secretary General's report prior to the 2010 A.G.M. Click here to 
           read the report click here.

8th April 2010

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Recent Correspondence

To read a letter sent from the Secretary General CAFF(UK) to John Thurso M.P. Click here to 
           read the letter click here.
Click on the icons to read previous Letters sent to John Thurso from the Ministry of Defence Click here to 
           view the letter to John Thurso from Kevan Jones and Cabinet Office Click here to 
           view the letter to John Thurso from Tessa Jowell.

Updated 14th April 2010

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Notice of A.G.M.

The 7th A.G.M. of CAFF(UK) will take place on the 13th of May at the Union Jack Club in London. To view and print the full Agenda Click here to 
           view and print the A.G.M. for the meeting click here.

8th April 2010

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Membership

If you are already a member of CAFF(UK) then there is no need to re-register as your membership will automatically be renewed annually.

7th April 2010

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Extracts from The Combined Armed Forces Federation’s Researched Report

Preamble

We are now in the process of preparing an application to present to the ‘Pensions Ombudsman’ based upon the Researched Report and responses to it from questions we have put to the Ministry of Defence to date. We have also put the same questions to ‘The Cabinet Office’ which is responsible for the payment of Civil Service Pensions. These were forwarded in December 2009 on the advice of the Ministry of Defence. However due to the long delays in receiving Government Department responses we have encountered (The Ministry of Defence took 6 months and then failed to address all the questions applicable to it!) we will forward the application to the Pensions Ombudsman as soon as we are able pointing out any further delays from the latter should this become necessary.

John Thurso MP has also requested Mike Hancock MP and Richard Younger-Ross MP (Liberal Democrats) to arrange a possible interview for us with the ‘Defence Select Committee'. In case you don’t know Government Select Committees have the ability to gather information from any source and call people to account including Government Ministers.

In the next few weeks in the run up to the coming general election I will be writing once again to the leaders of all three political parties to remind them that before they start setting out their ‘financial giveaways’ for their own supporters and agendas, that this, and any future Administration, has a Parliamentary and Statutory Duty to pay occupational Pensions and Gratuities to ex Regular Members of the Armed Forces serving prior to 1975, together with back pay and compensation as required by law. Now that this Government has been able to find the means of bailing out ‘criminally irresponsible’ bankers and also the money to pay their outrageous Pensions, they cannot at the same time claim our Pensions are ‘simply unaffordable’! (Funny – I thought criminals were no longer able to profit from their crimes??)

Additionally I will be placing copies of letters on the Web-site you can download and send to your own MP’s asking them what support they intend to give to our legitimate demands? It is vitally important you do this when the time comes which will hopefully be by the end of February at the latest.

Keep in mind copies of our complete Researched Report remains available to our Members at half price at £12.50 which includes postage. What follows are extracts of some of the main issues and background information. Hopefully this will make up for some lack of information to date and assure you this issue is receiving my continuous thorough attention. Our Executive Committee is to have a strategy meeting in the next couple of weeks.

  • To view some extracts from the report to give you an idea of the contents, please Click here to 
           view extracts from the Report click here.
  • To view an addendum to the report please Click here to 
           view the addendum to the Report click here.
  • To view the report cover, please Click here to 
           view the rear cover of the Report click here.

Compliments of the season to all our Membership and their families.
DAVID ROBSON
Secretary General: CAFF UK

27th January 2010

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MP Update

I have now received confirmation from John Thurso MP that our Questions we wish to put to the Cabinet Office and Liam Byrne MP have now been forwarded. On receipt of the replies we get we will be in a position to make an Application to the Pensions Ombudsman. Extracts from our Researched Report will also be added to the Web-site shortly after a meeting with the Executive Committee later this month.
DAVID ROBSON
Secretary General: CAFF UK

16th January 2010
 

INFORMATION REQUESTS

I am sure many Members will be interested to know how things are progressing and why there has been no update, of late.
First of all, Members will be pleased to know that things have been progressing.
Secondly the main driver for the work is the Secretary General who is responsible for updates on the website. Understandably, he has had to devote a great deal of time in correspondence with MPs, the MOD and the Cabinet Office. It will not be news to hear that all these people are extremely slow in replying, necessitating repeat correspondence and repeat follow-ups.
In addition, there has been a lot of legal activity, challenging a group whom we believe have "trespassed" on our organisational name. This has been seen as an important challenge but, because of the sensitivities of all parties involved, information cannot be published on the website, at this stage.
The Secretary General, with the support of your Executive Committee also believe that, although the case for the payment of pensions remains robust, the prevarication by MPs, Ministers and the Civil Service, is no longer acceptable and, as such, he has been preparing a direct legal challenge which the Government will have to answer in due course. Again, it would be inappropriate to give Ministers advance notice of our intentions by publishing information on the website.
I trust that this gives Members some re-assurance.
For some time, we have been aware of the need for updates, but one of our biggest problems has been that none of the Membership has ever responded to our request to undertake this role.
The Executive Committee are aware of the problem, and will seek to advise the Membership as soon as any developments of note can be reported on this website. Meanwhile, we appreciate your continued support and express our Best Wishes for 2010.
CHRIS WATKIN
Chairman: CAFF UK

16th January 2010
 

AGM & Pension Claim Update

Click here to display or print
          the agenda click here to read and print the Agenda and Minutes of the AGM held on the 7th of May 2009. An update re our Pension claim should be added shortly once we have received replies from MPs making enquiries on our behalf. Apologies for the delay in being able to issue an update.

updated 11th June 2009
 

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!

Currently we do not have members in the Canary Islands or Portugal. If you live there and want to support our campaign, or know anyone living there who may be able to spread the word then please contact the membership secretary.

3rd January 2008

Click here to visit the Forces Reunited web site


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