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Related page:
Ali Willis
AFF Housing Specialist
01980 618773
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Click on titles below to view
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The new housing pages on the Defence Estates website lists points of contact for Allocation Centres/ Housing Information Centres (HICs), Housing Offices and Contractors’ Helpdesks as well as other useful information: www.defence-estates.mod.uk/sfa/intro.htm |
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| Click here to read the House of Commons Defence Committee Report on the work of Defence Estates 12 September 2007 including the response from AFF |
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Photo of the Month
The damp shown in these photos is the same throughout the whole quarter. The occupant has been visited by 4 surveyors but to-date the problem has not been rectified. Luckily, a posting means that the family will now be able to move out.
(click images to enlarge)
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JSP 464 and JSP 315 the regulations governing Forces housing can now be accessed via the DE website at www.defence-estates.mod.uk in the section marked Service Families Accommodation under 'Forms and Publications'. JSP 464 has all the regulations on allocations, hirings, surplus, retention etc....JSP 315 is all about size and grades of SFA and the four tier grading boards.
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Things can only get better.......
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The results of the refurbishment of Invicta Park, Maidstone can be plainly seen.
Click on the images to enlarge
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| Kitchen 'Before' |
Kitchen 'After' |
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Bathroom 'Before' |
Bathroom 'After' |
The 'WOW' Factor!
On Friday, 9th November the first of the major upgraded houses for the families of 36 Engineer Regiment at Invicta Park, Maidstone was opened as a show home. Click here to read more.
Children Playing Happily
22 Playgrounds have recently been renovated or rebuilt by MHS in collaboration with DE, from Catterick in the North to Exmouth in the South and all areas in between. Click here to read more.
SFP Works Richmond Road Estate Catterick
As part of the Defence Estates Operations Housing Strategic Facilities Plan, MODern Housing Solutions (MHS) in partnership with Jennings Roofing have commenced works on the largest roofing project planned for this financial year. The works being carried out are the replacement of 140 roofs in Service Family Accommodation (SFA) at the Richmond Road Estate in Catterick.
Click here to read more.
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Is your SFA being surveyed?
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Modern Housing Solutions (MHS) has tasked Faithful and Gould to carry out condition surveys on all SFA in GB over the next 12 months. These surveys will give the housing providers a much better understanding of the state of our housing and will enable future funding to be better utilised when improving our homes. It is essential that the surveys are completed on all SFA . Therefore, if you are sent an appointment date for one of these surveys, could you make every effort to arrange for access to your property for the survey - which should take less than an hour to complete.
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The Pre-Payment Cleaning Scheme
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Prior to MHS taking on the repairs and maintenance contract for Service housing in England and Wales the pre-payment cleaning scheme stopped. Unfortunately we are still waiting for this scheme to be added to the MHS contract. In the meantime families will have to get independent cleaners (HIVEs hold local contacts) or clean their SFA themselves. DE (Ops) Housing staff should be informing families of this change at their pre-move out advisory visits, via UWOs and at local housing meetings.
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MHS Compensation Policy
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MHS has recently agreed a compensation policy and payment system for Service families (click here to download a pdf of the compensation process). The compensation will be in the form of vouchers from high street stores and, once the level of compensation is agreed - based on cross referencing information received from the occupant and the MHS database, occupants will receive the appropriate payment.
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New Disturbance Allowance Rates (effective April 2007)
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| Type of Accommodation |
New Rate £ |
| SFA/SSFA |
990 |
| SLA/SSSA |
85 |
| Mid Assignment – SFA |
990 |
| Mid Assignment – SLA |
85 |
| Privately Owned |
1116 |
| Privately Rented |
990 |
| Child Element |
133 |
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Housing
Frequently Asked Questions
Click here to download
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Council Tax on Second Homes
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Service families living in MOD housing in England, Scotland and Wales and paying council tax on their own properties in England and Scotland should automatically receive a 50% reduction in council tax on their own property (if it is not rented out). A number of service families are concerned that they now have to pay 90% of council tax on their second homes, instead of the 50% as set down in legislation under the Statutory Instruments (downloadable from the links given below). Families having problems obtaining this discount should show their local authority the Statutory Instruments, and if still unsuccessful should contact the AFF on 01980 618773 (email housing@aff.org.uk).
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(please note that the second two links amend the first)
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MHS Appointments Policy
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Recently, MHS have received several complaints from Occupants on the matter of Operatives working alone with only children (under the age of 16) present in the home. Once an Operative arrives at the property and only a child is present - the parent or guardian has been unhappy that the Operative did not enter the property and complete the job.
MHS have, therefore, added a note in on their website (www.modernhousingsolutions.com) as follows:
The MHS Company Policy states that Operatives are NOT to be left alone in the property with children (aged under 16). If a parent or guardian is not present, the Operative will not enter the property and will immediately leave if the parent or guardian leaves the Operative alone with the child.
This can be found on the 'Appointments' page under 'Property Services'.
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The Introduction Of Housing Information Centres -
Important Changes To Service Families Housing In Great Britain
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An important change is taking place on 1 April 2007 to help DE Ops Housing to improve the housing service we provide. On that date a network of seven Housing Information Centres (HICs) will be launched across Great Britain - in (from north to south) Rosyth, York, Telford, Thetford, High Wycombe, Aldershot and Warminster.
The HICs will replace the service currently provided through local housing offices and provide the single point of contact - a one-stop shop - for all housing services other than repairs and maintenance. Staff in the HICs will allocate houses, arrange moves in and out, arrange pre move out visits and handle any general enquiries about Service housing in England, Scotland and Wales. They will also be able to deal with questions on whether a service is provided by a PFI provider, the Local Authority, MHS or, for drainage issues, project Aquatrine. But please remember that to discuss repairs and maintenance issues you should continue to call your Helpdesk (MHS for England and Wales, Amec Turner in Scotland, or your repairs provider if you are in PFI).
The big difference you will notice is that instead of having to visit a local housing office, you will simply need to call the HIC network through a single national number:
0800 169 6322
From Overseas phone 01904 418000 or Mil (9) 4510 8000
Should you wish to correspond with the HIC by email, fax or letter, contact details are shown below:
Aldershot
Housing Information Centre
Building 3, ABRO, Ordnance Road
Aldershot, GU11 2AA
Fax: 01252 318591/348636
Email: south.allocations@hd.de.mod.uk |
High Wycombe
Housing Information Centre
156-158 Greenwood, Walters Ash, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP14 4XE
Fax: 01494 495515
Email: central.allocations@hd.de.mod.uk |
Thetford
Housing Information Centre
Building 29, Barnham Camp, Thetford Road
Barnham, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2DJ
Fax: 01842 890975
Email: anglia.allocations@hd.de.mod.uk |
Rosyth
Housing Information Centre
1st Floor, Caledonia House, Innova Campus, Rosyth Europarc, Rosyth, KY11 2UU
Fax: 01383 435957
Email: scotlandhic@hd.de.mod.uk
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Warminster
Housing Information Centre
401/423 Pepper Place, Warminster
Wiltshire, BA12 0DG
Fax: 01985 224504
Email: southwest.allocations@hd.de.mod.uk |
York
Housing Information Centre
Bacchus House, Link Business Park, Osbaldwick Link Road, Osbaldwick, York
Fax: 01904 754620
Email: northern.allocations@hd.de.mod.uk
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Telford
Housing Information Centre
Sapphire House, Stafford Park 10, Telford
Shropshire, TF3 3AD
Fax: 01952 215948
Email: west.allocations@hd.de.mod.uk |
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The HICs will be open from 0800 to 1630 hours, Monday to Friday, and be manned by experienced DE housing staff. If your enquiry is of a general nature it will be routed to the first available person at any of the seven HICs. This is because general enquiries - such as the implications of leaving your Service or learning about your entitlement to housing - can be answered by any of our staff wherever they are. But if your call is specific to a particular location - such as the need to arrange a move in or out - you will need to select the relevant HIC from the options offered. The attached map shows the geographic area covered by each HIC – you may wish to keep this by your phone for future reference. When calling please listen carefully to the instructions you will hear.
To ensure that the HICs are fully effective, direct dial numbers for our allocating staff will not be issued, and the route for enquiries to HIC staff, whether from occupants, from the chain or command or from welfare and families organisations will always be the central number. If there is a real business need to speak to a specific individual for case continuity reasons, the HIC agent can arrange for them to return your call, but this will be the exception rather than the rule - it is our intention that all HIC staff will be able to answer the vast majority of enquiries. At present calling a local housing office often results in leaving a message because Housing Officers are out on the estate. The HIC concept will remove this frustration and allow us to provide a more effective service because your call will be answered – provided you ring between 0800 and 1630! It also means that Housing Officers will be able to spend more time out on the estate, rather than sitting in offices and they will still attend surgeries and Occupant Consultative Meetings (OCMs) as at present. We have been trialling this new system in Scotland for some time now; we have learned a number of lessons and it is working well.
Please remember:
After 1 Apr 07 use 0800 169 6322 because your local housing office will no longer be able to deal with your call. Please do not call the new 0800 number before 1 Apr 07. For repairs and maintenance, continue to call your Helpdesk.
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MHS Gurkha Translation Service
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MHS have recently introduced a Gurkhali translation service at the Helpdesk. This is proving to be extremely useful. However families need to make sure that when the Helpdesk operator answers and acknowledges the need for the translation service, it will take a few minutes for the translation link to be established. Please wait for the link. Some families appear to be hanging up before the link can be established.
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Spotlight on Army housing
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The Army Families Federation is keen to highlight this issue and would like the Government to commit to a properly funded upgrade programme to ensure that Service accommodation is brought up to a decent standard.
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Cotswold Centre – The Army’s Best Kept Secret
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The Cotswold Centre offers short-term accommodation for Service members and their families. There are chalets, bungalows and modernised flats; all are fully furnished and equipped for the needs of a family.
The centre can be of benefit to families experiencing marital separation, giving the family time to seek more permanent accommodation. The site has a play park, primary school, a resident nurse and a doctor who will visit the centre twice a week. It could be just the solution for families during the very stressful time of a marriage breakdown, when a safe and comfortable environment for the family may be needed.
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The Cotswold Centre is also available to book for accommodation in between postings, following discharge or if you simply fancy a few days away from it all! As the centre is just 7 miles from Bath, it is a very appealing alternative to staying with relatives and the rates are very reasonable!
The Services Cotswold Centre has a new website – www.servicescotswoldcentre.mod.uk. You can now download a booking form from the site or book by calling 01225 810358. It has links to the local school there, as well as links to other relevant agencies.
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4 Tier Grading
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All Service Families Accommodation (SFA) is subject to a 4 Tier Grading system. Grading is reviewed every four years; or in-between if work has been completed on the property or at the request of the occupant. The accommodation charges you pay reflect the grade of the accommodation with Grade 1 attracting the highest charge and Grade 4 the lowest. This should not be confused with the Standard of Condition of a property which is assessed using different criteria.
If a quarter is rated Standard 1 for Condition (S1FC) it has been deemed to be of the highest
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level and would include a modern kitchen, shower, double glazing and other necessary requirements. AFF continue to canvas for more funding to upgrade properties to Standard 1 for Condition, however this does not necessarily mean that the property is Grade 1.
The grading of a property is used to establish the rent payable on the SFA. The grade is decided by a Board of Officers, consisting of personnel representing the chain of command and representation from Defence Housing Executive. The grade is decided by assessing one of each kind or type of property against set criteria. The Board will award points accordingly, a utility room scores two points whereas the lack of nearby facilities can score up to a maximum of minus five. The final score will define the grade awarded and therefore the accommodation charge. Grade 1 = 1 to 4 points, Grade 2 = 5 to 9 points, Grade 3 = 10 to 14 points and Grade 4 = 14 to 25 points. Lower points = higher rent.
A recently amended version of the regulations covering the grading board (JSP 464 part 4) was issued in July 2004, which changed some of the previously set criteria. Positive points are now awarded for three notable items, two additional points is the SFA has an en-suite, one point for an additional toilet (above scale) and two additional points for the provision of a utility room.
The last point has caused great concern for residents in Upavon, Wiltshire (as demonstrated in a letter featured in the December AFJ) when residents found that their properties had been “upgraded” to a Grade 2 following a routine Grading Board. Although the quarters had not had any work done to improve facilities, the newly amended Grading criteria were used and the area adjoining the kitchen was deemed to qualify as an utility room. Consequently the properties were awarded two extra points, placing the quarter into the Grade 2 rent category. As the occupants say “we are paying an extra £90 per month for what we already had and it falls far short of what you would expect of a utility room” AFF Note: this decision has now been reversed much to residents delight.
This is a perfect example of properties being up-graded because of a change in the grading criteria rather than due to improvements having been carried out. Add to this any increase from the Armed Forces Pay and Review Body (AFPRB) on accommodation charges and you can begin to understand why so many occupants feel dissatisfied with their current housing situation. We must continue to ask for better funding to bring housing in all locations up to an acceptable standard.
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Retaining a quarter or hiring for educational reasons
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As the Housing Specialist I have dealt with a number of queries from families applying to retain their current quarter on educational grounds. Families who feel that a move will be detrimental to their child for various reasons attempt to retain their quarter for varying lengths of time. I have advised these families on the regulations in the tri-Service Accommodation Regulations, but I have often found the regulations open to misinterpretation. For example, I wrongly believed that Statutory Assessment Tests, or SATs, could be included. This confusion has been recognised and a more detailed amendment to the current regulations has been produced.
Families who have children reaching critical examination periods may apply for retention for up to four
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months (one academic term) leading to the final public examination. Also, where it is not possible for the child to transfer schools whilst within two years of public examinations (because of school availability, regional syllabus differences or Continuous Assessment Work), then retention is possible up to the public examination. The term public examination only includes GCSE, A / S Level, A Level and/or other nationally recognised, full-time, higher and further education courses up to and including Degree Level. It may be important to know that the child must live permanently in Service Families’ Accommodation (SFA) and be under 25, unmarried and in full time education.
If you have a child undergoing statementing for Special Needs, then a quarter may be retained for two academic terms or until the end of the academic year. If you have a child not statemented but with special educational needs, then you can still be considered for retention on welfare/medical grounds, providing that consultation between the Local Service Commander and the relevant welfare, medical and educational agencies is undertaken. Retention will be for a specific period, after which a further application may be made if required.
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Worried about getting on the property ladder? Why not consider buying-to-let?
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You’ll have to live somewhere
Rachael Troughton thinks it’s time to get our heads out of the sand!
Are you one of the many Army families who are taking the “ostrich” attitude to the property market? Whether your soldier has just joined, or has only a few years to go until he/she leaves, one fact is certain: when you leave the Army, you will have to live somewhere. It is never too early to think about this, especially as the civilian housing world has undergone a profound change in the last ten years. In most areas, Council houses have been sold to their owners, and there are long waiting lists for empty flats and houses. House prices have increased steeply, and in popular towns two-bedroom houses are sold within days of going on the market. Click here to download full report
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Irregular Occupancy
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You become an Irregular Occupant if you remain in a quarter once a Notice to Vacate has expired (after 93 days in the case of marriage breakdown or discharge from the Army). This isn’t a subject commonly discussed, unless you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of perhaps a marital breakdown or just at the end of your service. Irregular occupancy (and not illegal occupancy as it is often called - there is nothing illegal about finding yourself in a married quarter when your entitlement has ceased) is something that happens more often than you might think.
I recently spent time at the DE (Ops) Housing Western Regional offices in Telford and was invited to meet and talk to staff in the Finance Department. Amongst other things, they deal with collecting rents from Irregular Occupants, which can no longer be deducted from salary when a spouse is responsible for the quarter or the Service person has been discharged. They told me how important it was that, if entitled, the occupant applies early for housing benefits to avoid delays and possible overdue rents which may lead onto debt. The Department also has staff dealing with debt recovery and a lot of time and work is spent attempting to recover unpaid charges, which may be for damages as well as rents. In extreme cases this can lead to court proceedings. If you do find yourself in this worrying situation, speak to your Unit Welfare Officer, local Housing Information Centre (HIC) office, Army Welfare Service worker, SSAFA FH or AFF about benefits and future housing provision. You should also contact the Joint Services Housing Advice Office (JSHAO), which has tremendous expertise in dealing with housing needs. Don’t leave it too late - advice is there if you need it. For more information, contact:
Joint Services Housing Advice Office: for advice on all aspects of housing
01722 436575 Mil: 94331 2575 email: jshao@army.mod.uk website: www.army.mod.uk/jshao
SSAFA FH at JSHAO: Austyn Leaverland 01722 436400 Mil: 94331 2400
SSAFA FH Stepping Stone Homes (NW London and Tyne and Wear): temporary accommodation for separated Service and ex-Service families, plus support and assistance in finding a permanent home. Contact Sinead O’Callahan 020 7463 9209 or 020 7403 8783
email: housing@ssafa.org.uk website: www.ssafa.org.uk
Services Cotswold Centre (Wiltshire): short-term self-catering accommodation between postings, on retirement or for welfare reasons: 01225 810358
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Surplus quarters – a place in history?
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The number of surplus quarters is decreasing and their availability is slipping into history. I have received numerous calls from eligible personnel who have been told that there are no surplus quarters available in many areas. Service personnel divorced with access to children and welfare cases requiring moves nearer to family are just some of the examples of affected families. As they are only eligible for, rather than entitled to, surplus quarters, if there are no available empty properties, then there is little that can be done, despite DE (Ops) Housing treating each case individually.
When applications are specific to certain areas then the chances of a surplus property are limited. Some less popular areas do have surplus quarters, which DE (Ops) Housing is eager to fill with occupants, but these are often not in the right location. Just having the property available does not automatically mean that eligible personnel can occupy it. Because of the possible welfare and support structure that may be required, local command approval must also be sought.
It is now common that if an application is declined it will no longer be placed on a waiting list, as many areas do not foresee surplus properties becoming available. I always advise callers who find themselves in this situation to maintain communication with DE (Ops) Housing and if necessary re-submit their application periodically, especially if no waiting list is held. You never know, one day a suitable surplus property might become available.
If separated serving parents were to become entitled to quarters, then their particular problem would be solved – but until then, if ever, we will still hear of children spending their weekends with their separated parent sleeping on a mess room floor, or soldiers simply leaving the Services to enable them to play an active role in their children’s lives!
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Page last updated 12 December 2007
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