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: ‘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.’
There's a news video here.
1 comment:
Something similar happens here in the states with Social Security payments. My Grandmother died on Dec 28th and the way SS payments are made she had already received her Jan. money. They took it back which honestly is justifiable. But they did so several months after her accounts where closed and since my mother was also on her accounts they took the money from my mother's personal checking (not tied to my Grandmother at all) account causing it to be overdrawn. They did all this without any notice and only explained everything after being calling several times to speak with someone.
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