Section 16C - Military Pay, Allowances, and Entitlements Flashcards
Every member is entitled to basic pay while on active duty, with what exceptions?
Periods of unauthorized absence, excess leave or after an enlistment expires.
Annual military pay raises are linked to what?
Salary increases in the private sector as measured by the employment cost index.
Beginning in 2007, how are military pay raises determined?
They are automatically equal to the increase in the employment cost index, unless Congress authorizes and funds a higher raise.
Basic pay is the fundamental component of military pay, governed by what two factors?
Grade and length of military service.
Why is the accuracy of your military pay date important?
It determines your length of service for pay purposes.
Under what circumstances could your pay date be earlier than the date you went on active duty?
If you previously served in certain governmental agencies or enlisted under the Delayed Enlistment Program before 1 January 1985. (The Air Force adjusts your pay date to credit these periods.)
Under what circumstances could your pay date be later than the date you went on active duty, resulting in a negative pay date adjustment?
Periods of AWOL, desertion, or sickness or injury due to personal misconduct.
What document shows your entitlements, deductions, allotments, leave information, tax-withholding and Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) information?
Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) Form 702, Defense Finance and Accounting Service Leave and Earnings Statement (LES).
What system lets you view your Leave and Earning Statement (LES) and initiate changes to selected items affecting your pay?
The electronic myPay system.
Monetary ____ cover specific needs not provided by the government.
Allowances.
What are the most common monetary allowances?
Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) and Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH).
Most military allowances are not taxable. What is the exception?
CONUS Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA).
Most junior grade enlisted members assigned to single-type government quarters at their Permanent Duty Station (PDS) are required to eat in government dining facilities. What do they receive?
A Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) and the discounted meal rate is deducted from their pay.
May members assigned to single-type government quarters at their Permanent Duty Station (PDS) claim reimbursement for missed mess?
Yes, when certified by the commanding officer or designee.
What three factors determine housing allowances?
Members grade, dependency status and location. (The location determines whether the allowance is Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) or OS Housing Allowance (OHA).)
In some cases, members who are not able to take their families to the Permanent Duty Station (PDS) are eligible for payment of ____ allowance, in addition to Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) or OS Housing Allowance (OH).
Family Separation Housing (FSH) allowance.
What is the intent of the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH)?
To provide uniformed service members with accurate and equitable housing compensation when government quarters are not provided, based on costs in local civilian housing markets.
How does Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) affect members living in privatized quarters?
Rent must equal the BAH entitlement, paid via allotment. (Some privatized housing contractors now accept less than full BAH as rent to eliminate vacant housing.)
Members without dependents residing in government single-type quarters are entitled to partial Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), unless what condition applies?
The quarters, including government-leased quarters, exceed the minimum standards for single quarters for their grade.
What type of Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) may members living in single-type government quarters who pay court-ordered child support qualify for?
Basic Allowance for Housing Differential (BAH-DIFF).
Members who receive an OS Housing Allowance (OHA) are reimbursed actual rental cost up to the maximum OHA rate for each locality and grade. Describe the two types of OHA.
1) Move-in Housing Allowance (MIHA), based on average “move-in” costs for members who qualify; and 2) monthly OHA, including a utility/recurring maintenance allowance.
The Family Separation, Basic Allowance for Housing (FSH) compensates members for added ____ expenses resulting from enforced separation from dependents.
Housing.
What are the two types of the Family Separation, Basic Allowance for Housing (FSH)?
FSH - Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) (FSH-B) and FSH-OS Housing Allowance (OHA) (FSH-O).
Which Family Separation, Basic Allowance for Housing (FSH) is payable each month in an amount equal to the without-dependent Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rate for the member’s grade and Permanent Duty Station (PDS)?
FSH-B.
Family Separation, Basic Allowance for Housing (FSH)- ____ is payable in a monthly amount up to the without-dependent OS Housing Allowance (OHA) rate for the member’s grade and Permanent Duty Station (PDS)
FSH-O.
Name the two types of Clothing Replacement Allowances (CRA).
CRA Basic and CRA Standard.
Which Clothing Replacement Allowances (CRA) is a preliminary replacement allowance paid annually starting in the sixth month of active duty service?
CRA Basic.
Clothing Replacement Allowances (CRA) Standard automatically replaces CRA Basic after ____ months of active duty service.
36 months.
Family Separation Allowance (FSA) is payable in addition to any other allowance or per diem to which a member may be entitled. (T/F)
True.
May a member receive more than one payment ofFamily Separation Allowance (FSA) for the same period if they also qualify for FSA-Restricted. (FSA-R) and FSA-Serving on a Ship (FSA-S) or FSA Temporary (FSA-T)?
No
The ____ pays qualified members for added expenses incurred because of an enforced family separation.
Family Separation Allowance (FSA). (It includes FSA-Restricted. (FSA-R) and FSA-Serving on a Ship (FSA-S) and FSA Temporary (FSA-T).)
What two OS-station allowances defray the higher-than-normal cost of living or procuring housing in certain OS locations?
1) Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA); and 2) cost-of-living allowance.
What allowance is available to members assigned to designated “high cost” areas within the CONUS?
CONUS Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA).
In addition to enlistment and reenlistment bonuses, name several examples f special and incentive pay.
Hazardous duty incentive pay, imminent danger pay, special duty assignment pay, enlisted flying duty incentive pay, and hardship duty pay location.
What are two general categories of payroll deductions?
Voluntary and involuntary.
All pay is considered income for federal and state income tax purposes. (T/F)
True. (This includes basic pay, special and incentive pays, accrued leave lump-sum pay and separation pay.)
Allowances considered nontaxable on 9 September ____ remain nontaxable.
- (For example, Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) is nontaxable and CONUS Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA) is taxable.)
List four involuntary payroll deductions.
1) Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes; 2) Federal Income Tax Withholding (FITW); 3) State Income Tax Withholding (SITW); and 4) Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH).
Which involuntary payroll deduction provides for national programs such as defense, community development and law enforcement?
Federal Income Tax Withholding (FITW).
What determines whether a member must pay state taxes?
The tax laws of their state of legal residency.
What is the maximum monthly payroll deduction for the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) from a regular enlisted member?
$1. (This money helps support the US Soilders’ and Airmen’s Home and the Naval Home.)
Members may have up to six discretionary payroll allotments. Name several examples.
Repayment of home loans, automobile loans, debt-consolidation loans, personal savings programs, support of family members and insurance premiums.
Members may control certain discretionary allotments through myPay. (T/F)
True. (However, there can be only one discretionary allotment to the same allottee.)
What are allotments with limited use, such as charitable contributions, child or spousal support, garnishment for commercial debts and delinquent travel charge card debt called?
Nondiscretionary allotments.
How early should you sign up for a payroll allotment?
About 30 days before the desired start month. (If paid twice a month, allotments are deducted in two equal amounts.
Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI) automatically gives eligible members life insurance converge when performing active duty or active duty for training for an ordered period of more than ____ days.
30 days.
The maximum amount of Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI) coverage is $____.
$400,000. (Members are covered at the maximum rate unless they decline or reduce coverage.)