How Wrong Is This?

[M H]

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/879724-army ... se-he-died

LCpl Jordan Bancroft’s parents were told £433 had been ‘overpaid’ into his account – 14 months after he was shot dead in Helmand Province.


They described the letter as like ‘being poked in the eye with a sharp stick’. Ministry of Defence officials last night said sorry to the family, promising the gaffe would not be repeated.


LCpl Bancroft, paid in monthly instalments, died ten days before his next payday – an inquest three weeks ago ruled he had been unlawfully killed.


Only now has the MoD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre written to the 25-year-old’s family saying they had deducted £433.13 in ‘overpayment’.


They explained the money had been taken out of a £1,493.04 refund for holiday time off not taken. The MoD intended to write off the overpaid wages, only deciding to claim the money back when handling the holiday entitlements.


LCpl Bancroft’s father, Tony Bancroft, from Earby, near Burnley, said yesterday: ‘When I read the letter, it felt like I’d been poked in the eye with a sharp stick.


‘I want to make clear this is in no way a question of the money, but one of respect for my son – a hugely brave and dedicated soldier who died serving his country. I think it’s undignified and very petty to be sent a bureaucratic letter like this.’


Athol Hendry, from the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association, said: ‘Often, there’s not much of a human aspect to the way the process deals with families.


‘It’s very unfortunate for something like this to happen, just reopening a wound that was already very raw and close to the surface. It’s an isolated incident but once is once too often.’


The MoD letter arrived days after the family handed over £10,000 raised from a calendar for troops in LCpl Bancroft’s old Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment.


The MoD said: ‘We regret any distress this has caused the family.’


Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/news/879724-army ... z1bseYxHag

[The Cat]

Why do they always say "any distress" as if it could even be in question ?

[Justin Credible]

prime example how people are just numbers on accountants sheets and be you dead or alive company or state policy treats everyone as equal.

A misfortunate way of dealing with things, certainly clerical oversight but thats the problem with things like this, compassion and decorum are not part of an accountants job so issues like this are bound to happen.

[micko]

No excuse for this sort of shabby treatment of the lads family by pen pushers, should make young people think twice about signing up.

[Terry Kenny]

No excuse for this sort of shabby treatment of the lads family by pen pushers, should make young people think twice about signing up.

I'd be more worried about dying than having my wages fucked up once I'm gone.

As for the OP, fucking jobsworths, get everywhere don't they.