Soldier told to pay £63k after MoD reversed boarding fees decision

2023-04-15

Army veteran who suffers from PTSD is ordered to pay the Ministry of Defence £63,000 after it reversed decision to pay for his daughters’ boarding school fees while he served in Afghanistan and Iraq

MoD originally agreed to pay 85% of fees for Corporal Kia Tubuitamana’s kids
They were sent to Bruton Girls School as their mother also worked overseas
But now claim he wasn’t eligible as it was the mother’s decision to go abroad

An Army veteran suffering from PTSD has been ordered to pay the Ministry of Defence £63,000 after it reversed a decision to pay for his daughters’ boarding school fees.

Corporal Kia Tubuitamana, who served for 18 years, did two tours of Afghanistan and two tours of Iraq before being discharged last year.

In that time, two of his children, who are now 19 and 15, were sent to boarding school as their mother also worked overseas for the MoD.

Citizenship4Soldiers, a campaign group supporting veterans in England, said the MoD originally agreed to pay 85 per cent of the girls’ tuition but has now demanded the money back from Mr Tubuitamana.

It is claimed that he was not eligible for the payment as the girls’ mother had not been posted abroad, but rather, had actively applied to work there.

Corporal Kia Tubuitamana, who served for 18 years, did two tours of Afghanistan and two tours of Iraq before being discharged last year

As a result, the MoD told the father of three, who served with Royal Regiment Fusiliers, that he owed them more than £120,000.

The 41-year-old said bosses took money from his pay packet and withdrew the £46,000 payment he would have received after being diagnosed with PTSD and leaving the Army through the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.

The children’s stepmother Lucy, who he married two years ago, today said they have been fighting this battle for three years.

He was discharged in March 2022, but while he was serving he had money taken out of his £35,000 salary for the fees – totalling about £13,000.

The former corporal who lives in Southampton, Hampshire, is still facing demands to pay back the remaining £63,000 which funded 11 terms at Bruton School for Girls in Somerset.

His eldest daughter is now out of education, and his younger girl now goes to school in Swindon, Wiltshire, as she lives with her mother there.

Labour MP Dan Jarvis, a former Army officer, raised Mr Tubuitamana’s case in the House of Commons.

He said: ‘Mr Tubuitamana proudly served for 18 years, including two tours of Afghanistan and two tours of Iraq, but sadly his service resulted in severe PTSD.’

Mr Jarvis said the soldier’s financial problems were the result of an ‘administrative mix-up’ by the MoD.

Veterans’ minister Johnny Mercer replied: ‘I totally accept there are cases where the results are not in keeping with making this country the best in the world to be a veteran.

‘I hope the sunlight we can bring to this case can bring us to a fair resolution.’

David McMullen, representing Citizenship4Soldiers, said the issue dated back to when Mr Tubuitamana was posted to Canada and his first wife started an MoD job in Saudi Arabia.

He said: ‘Kia and his wife were informed the fees shouldn’t have been covered because his wife had applied for the MoD job in Saudi, rather than being posted.’

Mr Tubuitamana’s current wife Lucy, who is supporting him, said it has had an ‘awful’ toll on his mental health.

She added: ‘It’s just been awful for him, mentally. He is so stressed all of the time. Sometimes, he can’t even get out of bed.

‘Every time he gets another letter, you can tell the trauma it brings to his mental health. They know why he was discharged, so why are they doing this?

Pictured: Kia Tubuitamana and Lucy on their wedding day

‘We’ve had no apology. They took his last wage and left him with nothing. He can’t get a job because of his mental health.

‘So myself and my family have been supporting him and the kids. He has no income.

‘We’ve lost both my parents in the last year – he had to perform CPR on them. It’s just all been horrendous.

‘In 2009, he was on Operation Herrick in Afghanistan, which was the worst tour he had ever done.

‘That was the main cause of his PTSD, but also with everything he has done, everything he has seen and been through, and losing friends along the way.’

An MoD spokesperson said: ‘Whilst we cannot comment on the specifics of this case, it is undergoing review, and we continue to work with Mr Tubuitamana to resolve the matter.’

Bruton was an independent day and boarding school for girls aged two to 18 that charged £10,616 per term for full boarding, but has since closed due to low enrollment.

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