| Outrageous. But what else do you expect from a Labour government? |
The British government is facing legal action over alleged plans to cut the pensions of Gurkhas by sacking them three years before they are due to leave the army. The move, which means the Defence Ministry will avoid having to pay an ordinary Gurkha soldier more than 200,000 pounds, is to be challenged in the courts by the British Armed Forces Federation (BAFF).
The policy was introduced after the government was forced to increase the Gurkhas' pay and pensions to bring them on par with the rest of the army.
An official briefing document on the new pension scheme shows that 80 per cent to 85 per cent of Gurkhas will be discharged early, so missing the better payments, The Sunday Times reported on Sunday. They will lose out not only on the immediate pension they would get after 18 years service but also on a lump sum departure payment of the equivalent of three years' pension.
Gurkhas have been put on the new army pension scheme, which applies to all other soldiers, after years of campaigning by their supporters. The full pension will be worth around 6,500 pounds a year for a rifleman, the basic Gurkha rank - plus the one-off departure payment. |