Compassionate Leave and Travel
Compassionate leave is granted to enable personnel to attend to personal domestic problems. It may be granted in the following circumstances:
- On the death, imminent death or very serious illness of a spouse, child, stepchild, parent, stepparent, sibling, stepsibling, guardian or recorded nominated Next Of Kin.
- On the death of a dependant overseas whose body is being repatriated to the UK or the Irish Republic.
- For urgent reasons, of an exceptional or personal nature, when the presence of the individual is considered essential to lessen domestic hardship.
The grant of compassionate leave of any category should not be deducted from an individual's annual leave allowance.
Categories of Compassionate Leave
- Category A Spouse or child is very seriously ill, death of a spouse or child, any other relative as listed at the above is very seriously ill.
- Category B - Spouse or any other relative as above is seriously ill, death of any relative as above not covered as Category A, serious domestic problem involving spouse or children. In the case of the death of a parent, stepparent or sibling of an officer, soldier or spouse, family travel for the Serviceperson, spouse and their children may be authorised at public expense.
- Category C - To provide assistance or make arrangements for the care of dependants who have given birth, fallen ill or who have been injured or assaulted, or in the event of an unexpected disruption or termination of such arrangements. To take necessary action after the death of a dependant, including a person who lives in the same household as the individual other than an employee, tenant, lodger or boarder.
Travel at Public Expense
The principal criteria for deciding if an individual may travel at public expense or not are as follows:
- Category A. This merits immediate travel by the fastest means for an extreme compassionate case but excludes travel by Concorde, charter aircraft or air taxis.
- Category B. This merits travel by the quickest means available under MOD control, eg wherever possible, air trooping.
Compassionate leave travel for officers and soldiers may be at public expense in the following circumstances:
- All Cat A and B.
- When registered for DOMCOL. Compassionate leave with free travel to the country of domicile may be taken as anticipated DOMCOL.
- When registered for COMECT.
- If not entitled or not registered for DOMCOL/COMECT. Compassionate leave with free travel to the country of domicile, or to the relative's country of domicile, is not permitted. However, assistance may be given towards the extra cost of compassionate leave travel if a posting from the UK to an overseas station has increased the distance between an individual and his relatives.
- Relative temporarily absent abroad. Where the relative who becomes the subject of a compassionate leave case, although normally resident in the UK or Irish Republic, is abroad at the time the situation arises, (e.g. on holiday) public funds will meet only the cost of expenses incurred which are in excess of a return civil air journey, economy class, from the UK to the country concerned.
- Gurkha Officers and soldiers and their Nepalese wives who are on official "Family Permission" (accompanied service), are entitled to return to Nepal on compassionate leave at public expense for the death, serious illness or domestic crisis involving a relative as defined above. This includes adopted children recorded in the husband's Kindred Roll
Travel Not at Public Expense
- Category C. Commanding Officers may exercise discretion to permit individuals to take a reasonable amount of time off during working hours to deal with emergencies. Movement is at the individual's own expense.
Travel to countries other than the UK is not permitted at public expense for foreign born nationals and spouses who are foreign-born except for those under the DOMCOL, COMECT and Gurkha schemes.
Onward Travel within the UK from Overseas
- Category A. Travel by road or internal flight, whichever is the most appropriate.
- Category B. Travel by rail on a warrant issued by the unit.
- Category C. Travel at the individual's own expense.
Onward travel within GB from NI
This is the responsibility of the Division (2, 4 or 5) at the port of entry and is as follows:
- Category A. Travel by road by use of Service transport or taxi.
- Category B. Travel by rail.
- Category C. Travel at the individual's own expense.
Support for Compassionate Leave and Travel in the Army
The section that provides support for compassionate leave and travel is Personal Services (Army) Section 4 (PS4(A)Comp). It is available for consultation and investigation. JCCC make recommendations to overseas commands together with related travel in the form of Category A or B as noted above.
Granting of Compassionate Leave
- For those in UK. Commanding Officers may authorise compassionate leave not exceeding 28 days. Extensions beyond 28 days may be authorised by the Divisional or equivalent Commander, provided that a total of 56 days is not exceeded.
- Overseas. The General Officer Commanding, or the authority appointed by him, may grant compassionate leave in the case of those serving:
- In NWE. Up to a maximum of 28 days.
- Overseas other than in NWE. Up to 28 days with travel to the UK at public expense. Where an individual is granted Cat A or B compassionate leave while he is away on leave from his overseas duty station MOD liability is limited to the cost of travel from his normal place of duty overseas. If the individual travels direct from his leave location to the UK (or other country concerned) the individual is required to bear the full amount by which the cost of that journey exceeds the cost of travel from his normal duty station.
Brigade/Division staff may authorise an extension of compassionate leave beyond the 28-day point but not exceeding 56 days. Only JCCC may authorise extensions of compassionate leave beyond 56 days.
Family compassionate travel to attend funerals in the UK or Irish Republic of dependants who die overseas
- The family of a dependant who dies overseas and whose body is repatriated to the UK or Irish Republic may be allowed travel at public expense from the overseas station to attend the funeral. This is restricted to those members of the family residing with the Serviceperson overseas at public expense.
Eligibility
- Where the wife of a Serviceman or husband of a Servicewoman dies overseas, the spouse and any children at the duty station may return to the UK or Irish Republic at public expense to attend the funeral.
- If the child of a Serviceman or Servicewoman dies overseas and the body is repatriated to the UK or Irish Republic for the funeral, the parents and any other children at the duty station may travel to the UK or Irish Republic at public expense to attend the funeral.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does the Army Compassionate Cell Do?
- The Joint Casualty and Compassionate centre (JCCC) is responsible for authorising Compassionate Leave Travel from overseas for Service personnel, their dependants based abroad (Including Northern Ireland), and mobilised reservists and Territorial Army.
- It is manned round the clock 365 days per year. The Cell is primarily responsible for monitoring and actioning certain procedures for Army personnel if they become notifiable casualties (details below), both in the UK and overseas, and also for their dependants overseas. These roles ensure that the nominated Next of Kin/Additional Next of Kin are notified appropriately and as quickly as possible should an individual become a notifiable casualty. Notification is carried out by a Casualty Visiting Officer.
- Comprehensive details of all aspects of casualty reporting and procedures can be found in JSP 751, Chapter 20 (now on the Intranet).
How Do I Contact the Compassionate Cell?
The Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre is located at AFPAA, RAF Innsworth, Gloucester, GL3 1HW. +44 (0) 1452 519951.
When you phone the Compassionate Cell you will be asked for certain details. Having these to hand will assist in having cases dealt with more quickly but families should not worry if they only have some of the information. You will be asked for:
- Name, Rank and Number of the Serviceperson.
- Unit and address of Serviceperson.
- Details of Hospital (if applicable).
- Details of Doctor.
The Compassionate Cell considers each case very carefully and investigates and verifies each one. Only after that will they make the necessary recommendation for travel and subsequently inform the Service person's unit overseas.
Contacting relatives overseas directly merely wastes time since the case always has to be referred back the Compassionate Cell for investigation and a decision.
What is Compassionate Leave?
Compassionate Leave is special leave authorised when certain family members and relatives become seriously ill or, sadly, die. The Army refers to these as being 'in-scope' and they are: Spouse; Child; Step-child; Parent; Step-parent; Sibling; Step-sibling; Guardian; recorded nominated Next-of-Kin.
What Do You Mean by Nominated Next-of-Kin?
- Service personnel are required to give details of the person they wish to be notified in the event of them becoming a listed casualty or of their involvement in an incident of public interest. It is this person therefore who is recorded on the soldier's details as being his next-of-kin.
- It should be stressed that the person nominated is not necessarily the legal next-of-kin and that being nominated does not give the nominee any legal rights.
What are the Categories of Compassionate Leave?
Once the Cell has carried out the appropriate investigations it makes a recommendation to the overseas command as to the type of Compassionate Leave that is authorised. This is dependent on individual circumstances and will naturally vary from soldier to soldier.
The Army has three areas of recommendation and those are:
- Category A - This is for extreme compassionate cases where a spouse is very seriously ill or, sadly, dies; when a child is very seriously ill in which case both parents may travel at public expense; when a relative who is in-scope (see above) is very seriously ill. Very Seriously Ill is the term used when the severity of the illness is such that life is immediately in danger. Category A merits immediate travel by the fastest means and is at public expense (i.e. the Army pays). Fastest means does not, however, include Concorde, the chartering of special aircraft or air taxis.
- Category B - This is where a spouse is seriously ill; any relative who is in-scope (see above) is seriously ill; any in scope relative (other than spouse and child) dies; there is a serious domestic problem involving spouse or children. Seriously Ill is the term used when the illness is severe enough to cause immediate concern but there is no imminent threat to life. Category B merits travel by the quickest means under MOD control which, in most circumstances, is an air trooper. Again, this is at public expense.
- Category C - Normally this concerns domestic emergencies and a soldier's Commanding Officer may use his discretion to allow individuals time off. This could be a matter of hours or days and if it is likely to exceed 28 days then advice is sought from the Compassionate Cell. Travel is at the individual's expense.
Variations to the above do exist and Service personnel can always refer to the Army Leave Manual, Chapter 4 which gives a full explanation of entitlement and criteria. For non-Service personnel, an explanation and clarification can be given by a member of the Compassionate Cell.
What is the Procedure for Onward Travel once in the UK?
Once a soldier has landed back from overseas his onward travel within the UK is handled by the Defence Transport and Movement Agency, who are based at Andover. As a general guide, onward travel is defined as:
- Category A - Travel by road or internal flight, whichever is the most appropriate.
- Category B - Travel by rail on a warrant issued by the soldier's unit.
- Category C - Travel at the individual's expense.
It must be stressed that these are general guides and may be qualified depending on individual circumstances. Additionally, there are slightly different rules and regulations that cover Compassionate Leave and Travel from Northern Ireland. If there is any doubt at all, the soldier is able to seek advice from his unit.
Is there an entitlement to Compassionate Leave for the Spouse?
- The spouse of a serving soldier has an equivalent, but separate, entitlement to Compassionate Leave for the serious illness of their in-scope relatives (see above). Where the case concerns the in scope relatives of a spouse it is the spouse only who will be entitled to Compassionate Travel.
- If, however, the case concerns the death of a spouse's in-scope relative then both the spouse and the soldier are entitled to Compassionate (Leave and) Travel.
What if the Soldier is UK-based?
If the soldier or spouse is based in the UK the soldier's unit should be contacted.
The Compassionate Cell deals with some 4,000 telephone enquiries each year and handles a huge number of compassionate cases. Each case is treated individually and with respect, and the Cell's staff exercise the utmost sensitivity to the very distressing circumstances that often surround a soldier's request for compassionate leave.
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