Separation Allowance

[malpals]

I have acquired an old Army Form dating to 1916 which is in respect of a Mrs Davies' appeal for an increase in her Separation Allowance from Sgt W R Davies. The form tells her that she is getting an increase from 8/- per week to 11/- per week.

Did all wives of servicemen get this separation allowance? Does it still exist? Do people collect this sort of ephemera? Thank you in advance.

[kempie]

Longer Separation Allowance compensates (and is paid to) troops when separated from their family/permanent assignment station and cannot return at weekends/stand-down.

In 2007 the 100 days qualifying period for this allowance was reduced to 10 days.

A list of allowances available to the Armed Services is available here...

http://www.rafcom.co.uk/pay_allowances/pdf/All owances-Regulations.pdf

This RN leaflet indicates current MoD rates of the allowance as a maximum �26.94 per day...

http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/upload/pdf/MoD_Ra tes_Leaflet.pdf

[4GS]

It depends on the circumstances, if for example a service person was married and there was no service housing was available and if one spouse was living in Germany and the other in the UK then separation allowance would be paid to offset the higher rents payable to civilian councils etc. It's been 4 years since I left the mob and I'm not sure if it was payable then as I was living in service housing at the time i Left.

I am however surprised that you have a form dating to 1916 seeing as then, we were in the middle of World War One, and he would be living under what's now known as 'field conditions' Sgt Davies must have been a Regular Army soldier prior to the war breaking out in 1914.

Hope this helps you

[malpals]

The form is Army Form W 3240 and seems to be for use by either the Regimental Paymaster or the Secretary, Territorial Force Association. In this case it is the latter. It is signed on Aug 24th 1916.
Obviously the Territorial Force qualified for the same allowances as the regular army. Is that still the case?

[kempie]

If mobilised then TA soldiers will receive all of the allowances a Regular soldier is entitled to.

http://www.armyjobs.mod.uk/Benefits/Pay+Pensio ns+and+Allowances/Territorial+Army.htm