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Useful Information
Are you trooping to Cyprus through Gateway House at RAF Brize Norton?
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Contact Us
AFF Cyprus Branch Office, Room 129, Block E, HQ Episkopi Support Unit (near the Housing Office and PWS), BFPO 53
Tel: 25 96 2110 Fax: 25 21 1677 Email: cyprus@aff.org.uk
Phil Robertson, Director AFF Cyprus
Phil Robertson Director AFF Cyprus
AFF Cyprus
BFBS News Report featuring Phil Robertson, Director AFF Cyprus
Checklist for this page
Did you have problems voting in the 2010 general election or 2011 referendum? - NEW Increase to Get You Home flight rates Royal Air Force or Royal Navy family in Cyprus? The Open Arms TPMH Cancer Patients Support Group BFPO deliveries Coping with money worries Are you Fire Safe? Travel Insurance Turtle Watch Claiming Tax Credits
Go to ‘Moving to Cyprus’ page
Are you a Foreign & Commonwealth family living in or moving to Cyprus? Visit the F & C, Cyprus page for lots of useful information.
NEW! Did you have problems voting in the 2010 general election or 2011 referendum?
As part of its ongoing campaign to try to improve access to voting for Service personnel and their families based overseas, AFF Cyprus would like to hear from you if you had difficulties voting in the 2010 UK general election or the referendum on changing the UK parliament voting system which took place in May 2011.
Please let us know if any of the following apply to you:
Your ballot papers arrived in Cyprus too late for you to cast your
vote;
Your ballot papers got back to the UK too late for your vote to
count;
You never received your ballot papers;
You would ordinarily vote in an election or referendum in the UK
but you did not from Cyprus because you did not think your vote
would get back to the UK in time; or
You would ordinarily vote in an election or referendum in the UK
but you did not from Cyprus because you did not know someone in
the UK who could be your proxy i.e. someone who could vote on your
behalf.
Please contact Phil Robertson at director@affcyprus.org or on 2596 2289 if any of the above scenarios apply to you or if you have anything else to raise about voting from Cyprus (or any other overseas location).
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Increase to Get You Home flight rates
Great news - with effect from 1 April 2011 the rate for the ‘Get you home’ allowance from Cyprus changed from £285 to £336 per person. This means that all applications submitted for flights that take place after 1 April 2011 will attract the new allowance rate.
By way of reminder, the ‘Get you home’ allowance may be claimed by each eligible Service person serving in Cyprus and each eligible member of their immediate family travelling with them once per year (although in some circumstances they may be authorised to travel separately). The allowance can be claimed against the cost of your return flight to the UK and our understanding is that your terminal travel costs (i.e. Motor Mileage Allowance at the Converted Leave Rate between your duty station and the local international airport of embarkation and between the UK arrival airport and the qualifying address multiplied by the number of eligible immediate family members travelling) may be claimed in addition to your flight costs.
There are quite a few other rules, regulations and definitions which define when and how the ‘Get you home’ allowance can be claimed. Your local admin office will be able to advise you on your entitlement to claim this allowance. Information is contained in JSP 752 - however it is always worth referring back to your local admin office to ensure that you have met all necessary criteria.
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Royal Air Force or Royal Navy family in Cyprus?
Remember that the Army Families Federation in Cyprus acts on behalf of all Service families, not just Army families. So if you are an RAF or Navy family and there is something that you think AFF could help you with please get in contact with us.
Similarly, we have copies of the most recent RAF and Royal Navy Families Federations magazines (Envoy and Homeport respectively) so please pop in to see us in Episkopi if you would like a copy of either magazine. Alternatively, if you are unable to get to Episkopi please give us a call and we will send a magazine to your unit address in Cyprus.
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The Open Arms TPMH Cancer Patients Support Group
Open Arms is a charity in Cyprus committed to offering support to all BFC Service personnel, entitled civilians and their families. From the time a diagnosis of cancer is suspected and onwards, Open Arms aims to offer help and advice on emotional and practical levels.
The Open Arms committee meets on a regular basis to discuss the needs of patients, to act on their behalf when necessary and to manage the charity’s funds. Where needed, the committee can call on health and welfare professionals with a particular interest and experience in the field of oncology. Counselling can also be arranged for the patient or a family member. Click here for more details.
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BFPO deliveries
Are you based in Cyprus and frustrated that you cannot have something delivered here because the company you are trying to buy from will not deliver to a BFPO address? If you are then we would like to hear from you as part of our ongoing efforts to collate your views and opinions on BFPO. Please let us know the names of companies which you have found will not deliver to a BFPO address and we will lobby them on your behalf to try and get them to change their ways. As we all know, sending something to a BFPO address requires no extra effort on the part of the sender so there is no reason to refuse to send items here. You can call us on 2596 2110 or email us at cyprus@aff.org.uk to let us know who we can lobby for you.
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Coping with money worries
Service personnel and their families in Cyprus may find it difficult to get information on agencies they can turn to for help with money worries. This factsheet will help you find the right contact details for agencies in Cyprus and the UK. Read more »
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Are you Fire Safe?
Cyprus fire safetyMany houses in Cyprus do not have central heating and have to use other forms of heating which might increase the fire risk if care is not taken. During the winter months, please take extra care and if you have any concerns or queries about fire safety in your home, contact your local Fire Station for advice. Here are some basic tips to keep you safe, warm and toasty during the winter:
Calor Gas Heaters - The majority of Service Families Accomodation are issued with Calor Gas heaters and it is vitally important to ensure that they have been serviced prior to use. Heaters that do not have an in-date service sticker should not be used and should be returned to Accommodation Stores for a replacement. Guards for gas heaters are available from your Barracks Wardens but remember that Calor Gas Heaters should not be used in bedrooms.
Electric Heaters - Always ensure that heaters are placed firmly on the floor and cannot topple over. Never place items of clothing directly in front of a heater to dry and be mindful of children when using stand-alone heating appliances – use a guard if possible.
Log Fires - This type of heating, whilst effective and aesthetically pleasing, presents its own specific hazards. Once established in the grate, ensure that the guard is always in place to avoid sparking wood embers from the fire igniting the carpet or hearth rug. Remember to extinguish the fire or ensure that it does not represent any danger before you go to bed.
Smoke Detectors - Smoke detectors are provided in all SFA – if you do not have one or its unserviceable then contact your Families Office immediately for a replacement. Your local Fire Station has instruction leaflets on the testing and upkeep of detectors.
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Travel Insurance
Families living in BFC should inform visitors of the need to have comprehensive travel insurance in addition to their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Visitors who require urgent medical attention may be seen at the Station Medical Centres, but must have travel insurance as visits are not covered by the EHIC and will have to be paid for.
The EHIC only covers treatment in the Republic of Cyprus Hospitals (full details can be obtained from www.ehic.org.uk) and does not cover the private hospitals. Visitors should also ensure that they have adequate medication for the duration of their stay. If you have any further queries contact your local medical centre.
All applicants should also be aware of the following points:
Each family member needs their own EHIC
You should have both an EHIC and travel insurance since the EHIC
does not cover all medical costs
The Service Families Task Force website states the following, ‘The
MOD will supply free medical treatment at your posting location
but you will not be covered for travelling elsewhere. Please check
what you are covered for.’
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Turtle Watch
British Forces Cyprus has three Turtle Watch groups in Akrotiri, Dhekelia and Episkopi. They consist of groups of volunteers who work together to protect the Green and Loggerhead turtles that nest in Cyprus turtlewatchCyprus. Volunteers monitor nesting adults, remove their tracks, protect the nest area through its incubation period and estimate its hatching date. A cage is placed over the nest to protect them from predators such as dogs, foxes and humans. The nests are watched and the cage is lifted so that the turtles can go naturally towards the sea.
Families are invited to watch the excavations of the hatchlings and dates will be advertised. It is an experience enjoyed by adults and children alike. If you would like to volunteer contact your local HIVE.
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Claiming Tax Credits
The Army Families Federation would like to reassure anyone applying for Tax Credits that LOA should NOT be included on your application form. AFF Cyprus has, through AFF Central Office, been assured by SP(Pol) on this point.
LOA is a non-taxable allowance, paid to Service Personnel to compensate for the increased costs incurred with living overseas.
If you are having difficulties with an application you are making; if you have been turned down, or been told you have been overpaid Tax Credits, please talk to your AFF Coordinator, at your local HIVE, or to AFF Branch Office, in Episkopi on 25 96 2110.
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