Overpaid army helicopter pilots quit in wage row

A number of the British Army’s most experienced pilots have quit their posts over claims they have been overpaid.

The Army is now demanding that the former soldiers repay the discrepancies, leading to an all-out row and some pilots choosing to leave their positions. 

According to the BBC, a freedom of information request has shown £829,000 in overpayments were made between 2007 and 2013 to over 200 pilots. The mistake is described only as an “administrative error.”

In 2014, a letter to the Ministry of Defence claimed that the Army was of the view that these “debts” should be written off due to “compelling” operational reasons. The Army has also gone on to comment that officials must now weigh up the decision to recover the incorrect wages against losing a significant number of their most experienced staff.