Military’s new housing plan under fire over living allowance cut

Canadian Armed Forces is under fire for its plan to cut thousands of troops off a cost-of-living allowance without much notice.The military announced last week that about 7,700 Armed Forces members will no longer receive the top-up starting in July, when it will be replaced by a new housing benefit that commanders say will better assist those who need the most help.Social media and online forums dedicated to military personnel have been crackling with dissatisfaction over the plan, including the abbreviated timeline.

Some are also unhappy with a new 10 per cent pay increase over four years, retroactive to 2021.Experts say the lack of notice speaks to larger problems around how the military treats its people, which they worry is sparking anger and frustration at a time when the Canadian Armed Forces is struggling with a recruitment and retention crisis.

Read more: Ottawa must ‘recapitalize’ the Canadian Armed Forces, Anand says ahead of budget “We’re pissing people off,” said retired lieutenant-general Guy Thibault, who previously served as vice-chief of the defence staff. “And this may be the final straw that pisses them off.

It’s not really about compensation. It’s just that they’re not feeling valued.”The decision to replace the military’s existing cost-of-living allowance with a new housing benefit follows a 14-year battle between the Department of National Defence and Treasury Board, the central department that controls federal spending.Established in 2000 as a way to compensate members for the added costs of having to live and work in certain communities, the allowance rates were frozen in 2009 as defence and treasury officials fought over the program’s cost and parameters.Canadian Forces College professor Alan.