Service families on breadline

SERVING members of the armed forces have to claim income support because they are unable to support their families on their wages. The Ministry of Defence made the shock admission last week after service personnel told senior staff that they were embarrassed by the plight of some of their colleagues.

Officials said it was a problem that had been identified in all three services and concerned those who had remained in junior ranks for many years and had families. There will be concerns among senior officers that serving personnel being forced to resort to benefits could undermine morale. It will also raise fears that if some service personnel are prepared to claim income support others might be tempted to moonlight in other jobs to supplement their salaries.

Mike Hancock, the MP for Portsmouth South and Liberal Democrat defence spokesman, said: "Most people just would not believe that there are people on income support in the armed services. I think it is a disaster for morale. There should be no one in the armed forces in that position. It is all because they are simply not paid enough money for what is clearly not a 35-hour week job."

The ranks who are chiefly claiming benefits are Army privates, Ordinary Seamen, Aircraftmen and Marines, who all receive a basic pay of pounds 10,282 rising to pounds 13,771 after training.

Mr Hancock said: "Royal Marines that I have spoken to are embarrassed on behalf of colleagues who have to fill in forms to claim extra benefits."

He said the issue showed what a difficult task the Ministry of Defence faced in trying to attract recruits to the armed forces. "The Government has got to get to grips with low pay in the lower ranks," he said.

An MoD spokesman was at first doubtful that service personnel were on benefit. But after speaking to officials from the Service Personnel Policy unit, he confirmed that claims were being made across all three services.

He said: "If you remain at a low rank and you have three or four children, then you end up on family credit."