_GOTOBOTTOM
Armor/AFV
For discussions on tanks, artillery, jeeps, etc.
Victoria Cross Question
Klaus-Adler
Staff MemberCampaigns Administrator
MODELGEEK
Visit this Community
Scotland, United Kingdom
Joined: June 08, 2015
KitMaker: 1,505 posts
Armorama: 840 posts
Posted: Sunday, September 09, 2018 - 07:58 AM UTC
Ok i was having a discussion with my partner (no, she's not moaning about the stash this time)

if someone is awarded the Victoria Cross (Britain's highest military award) they are granted an £10,000 every year tax free.

now my question is, what happens if the award is given posthumously, does the next of kin then receive the annual lump sum of £10,000 ?

Mods, please feel free to move this to another area if it's in the wrong place.
18Bravo
Visit this Community
Colorado, United States
Joined: January 20, 2005
KitMaker: 7,219 posts
Armorama: 6,097 posts
Posted: Sunday, September 09, 2018 - 08:30 AM UTC
This made me think of the British soldiers receiving retirement pay based on distances from one point to the other.
jon_a_its
Visit this Community
England - East Midlands, United Kingdom
Joined: April 29, 2004
KitMaker: 1,336 posts
Armorama: 1,137 posts
Posted: Monday, September 10, 2018 - 03:02 AM UTC
First I've heard of Bounty payments for Gallantry Medals in the British Army....

When my pop got a BEM, it cost him around in the Sgts Mess!
Klaus-Adler
Staff MemberCampaigns Administrator
MODELGEEK
Visit this Community
Scotland, United Kingdom
Joined: June 08, 2015
KitMaker: 1,505 posts
Armorama: 840 posts
Posted: Monday, September 10, 2018 - 03:07 AM UTC

Quoted Text

First I've heard of Bounty payments for Gallantry Medals in the British Army....

When my pop got a BEM, it cost him around in the Sgts Mess!



you only get annual payments for the VC or the GC... no other medals get a payment as far as i am aware
pod3105
Visit this Community
Waterford, Ireland
Joined: August 08, 2010
KitMaker: 466 posts
Armorama: 444 posts
Posted: Monday, September 10, 2018 - 04:01 AM UTC
The 10k is for those who have received the awards post 2015.For those before then its a little over £2k. This was introduced in the 2015 budget. At that time there were approx 10living holders of the VC and 18 of the GC (not including Malta and the RUC).Not sure if the payment goes to family though, cant find any info on that bit.
redcap
Visit this Community
England - East Midlands, United Kingdom
Joined: November 06, 2005
KitMaker: 753 posts
Armorama: 378 posts
Posted: Monday, September 10, 2018 - 05:31 AM UTC
Interesting question....and so expanding it somewhat, what happens then if you sell your medal to Lord Ashcroft or one of the other serial VC & GC collectors and you are (still) living post sale? I have to be honest and say its the first time I have ever heard of VC and GC winners getting a tax free lump sum each year; but good luck to them if they do.
Klaus-Adler
Staff MemberCampaigns Administrator
MODELGEEK
Visit this Community
Scotland, United Kingdom
Joined: June 08, 2015
KitMaker: 1,505 posts
Armorama: 840 posts
Posted: Monday, September 10, 2018 - 09:02 PM UTC
Paul i think everyone who has a VC or GC has had their annual payment increased and not just those who were awarded the medal after 2015. Certainly the increase was made by George Osborne in 2015 but from what i have read it applies to all holders of those two medals...see daily express story below

£10,000 increase for VC & GC holders

Gary,

that again is a very good question, my guess would be that the award would be registered to the holder and thus the £10,000 would still go to the person that was awarded the VG or GC and not the owner.... which might mean that i have answered my own question as the next of kin would own the medal but they would not have bee awarded it....tricky... not sure who to as on this matter...might send an email to the M.O.D. if i can't get any further with this.
DonkeyKong
Visit this Community
Auckland, New Zealand
Joined: September 11, 2018
KitMaker: 1 posts
Armorama: 1 posts
Posted: Monday, September 10, 2018 - 09:51 PM UTC
Does the $10k apply to those who are awarded the VC from Commonwealth nations, like NZ and Oz?
Frenchy
Visit this Community
Rhone, France
Joined: December 02, 2002
KitMaker: 12,719 posts
Armorama: 12,507 posts
Posted: Monday, September 10, 2018 - 11:12 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Does the $10k apply to those who are awarded the VC from Commonwealth nations, like NZ and Oz?



https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/341329/07_JSP764_Part7_July14_amd6.pdf

H.P.
pod3105
Visit this Community
Waterford, Ireland
Joined: August 08, 2010
KitMaker: 466 posts
Armorama: 444 posts
Posted: Monday, September 10, 2018 - 11:22 PM UTC
Thanks for the clarification David. Only right and proper IMHO.

Whats the story with the collective GC awards though? Clearly it cant be an award to all of the population- even on the basis of the 2 k award,with its current population Malta would be getting approx 870 MILLION per year- so obviously there is a different process in place for Malta and the RUC. I never thought I'd be so enthralled with such an esoteric subject.
P
philhendry
Visit this Community
United Kingdom
Joined: December 26, 2009
KitMaker: 57 posts
Armorama: 56 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 11, 2018 - 12:24 AM UTC
It's only paid to service personnel - civilian recipients of the medals don't get anything. So the collective awards aren't eligible for the payment anyway, because Malta (for example) has never served in the Army, RN or RAF.
redcap
Visit this Community
England - East Midlands, United Kingdom
Joined: November 06, 2005
KitMaker: 753 posts
Armorama: 378 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 11, 2018 - 01:58 AM UTC
Thanks for the reply David.

Gary
chauvel
Visit this Community
Queensland, Australia
Joined: February 14, 2015
KitMaker: 155 posts
Armorama: 154 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 11, 2018 - 02:07 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Does the $10k apply to those who are awarded the VC from Commonwealth nations, like NZ and Oz?



Under the current system, Australian service personnel are awarded the VC independently of the British Ministry of Defence - the official title was changed to VC for Australia a number of years ago during PM Howard's time in office. The reference made further up in reply to your post, where it mentions other Commonwealth nations, would be directly attributed towards the original honour, before the current title came into use.
If someone has other info relating to this, please feel free to correct me appropriately
Das_Abteilung
Visit this Community
United Kingdom
Joined: August 31, 2010
KitMaker: 365 posts
Armorama: 351 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 11, 2018 - 09:40 AM UTC
Was the increased award perhaps to stop medal holders selling their medals to collectors to raise cash? Several have found their way into private collections when the recipients or their families fell on hard times and they can be worth a great deal of money: 6-digit numbers in £. Many VC winners came from - and returned to - humble backgrounds.

To my mind it ought to be a requirement that the holder or his/her heirs can only pass their medal to a designated list of military museums, or return it to the medal office for allocation to an appropriate museum. All those in private ownership outside the recipients' families should be repossessed on behalf of the nation for museum display.

I know that Bovington now has all 4 original genuine WW1 Tank Corps VCs on display, plus some replicas of others. This is only fitting.
CMOT
Staff MemberEditor-in-Chief
ARMORAMA
Visit this Community
England - South West, United Kingdom
Joined: May 14, 2006
KitMaker: 10,954 posts
Armorama: 8,571 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 11, 2018 - 09:50 AM UTC
If you are awarded a VC or GC for your actions then that medal is yours to do with as you wish, we do not have the right to tell those awarded what has to happen with it.
Klaus-Adler
Staff MemberCampaigns Administrator
MODELGEEK
Visit this Community
Scotland, United Kingdom
Joined: June 08, 2015
KitMaker: 1,505 posts
Armorama: 840 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 11, 2018 - 09:51 AM UTC
Peter according to the daily express article i have listed in a previous post it states that the increase in pay up to £10,000 was brought about by the fines placed on banks. some of this money was used to boost the annual payment to VC and GC holders
Das_Abteilung
Visit this Community
United Kingdom
Joined: August 31, 2010
KitMaker: 365 posts
Armorama: 351 posts
Posted: Tuesday, September 11, 2018 - 10:49 AM UTC

Quoted Text

If you are awarded a VC or GC for your actions then that medal is yours to do with as you wish, we do not have the right to tell those awarded what has to happen with it.



They shouldn't end up on rich collectors' walls to boast to their rich mates about and never be seen in public again. They are part of the history of the recipients' units too.
ALBOWIE
Visit this Community
New South Wales, Australia
Joined: February 28, 2006
KitMaker: 1,605 posts
Armorama: 1,565 posts
Posted: Wednesday, September 12, 2018 - 02:14 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Does the $10k apply to those who are awarded the VC from Commonwealth nations, like NZ and Oz?



Under the current system, Australian service personnel are awarded the VC independently of the British Ministry of Defence - the official title was changed to VC for Australia a number of years ago during PM Howard's time in office. The reference made further up in reply to your post, where it mentions other Commonwealth nations, would be directly attributed towards the original honour, before the current title came into use.
If someone has other info relating to this, please feel free to correct me appropriately




it is a bit older than Howards term, the VC for Australia was created by Royal Patent in 91 under keating and was the result of a lot of lobbying going back to the Whitlam Government and before due to the British Dept of Defence treatment of Australian recommendations particularly those of the Korean War where theyBritish DoD did not approve any commonwealth recommendations vbecause no Brit had yet recieved one (The British Recipient was a POW at the time). The politics of the Vietnam war also highlighted the difficulty in getting through the process. It was recommended that the British DOD be removed from the approval process and formally ratified in 1991 follwed by Canada and NZ adopting the VC for Canada and the VC for NZ.
Al
 _GOTOTOP