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Allowances |
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DoDEA
Employees use DAPS
(DoDEA Alllowance Processing System) to submit
all overseas allowance requests. Allowance requests
include: Temporary Quarters Subsistence Allowance (TQSA),
Living Quarters Allowance (LQA), Advance Living Quarters
Allowance (LQA), Post Allowance (PA), Post Differential
(PD), Advance Pay Request, Foreigh Transfer Allowance,
and Miscellaneous and Subsistence Requests. |
Helpful Links
Advances
of Pay
Current
LQA and Post Allowance Rates
Current
Per Diem Rates
Defense
Finance Accounting Service (DFAS)
Department
of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR)
Joint
Travel Regulations (JTR)
Passport Information: Japan Okinawa Korea
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POST
ALLOWANCE (COLA)
(Overseas
Areas) The post allowance is a cost of living allowance
intended to serve as a balancing factor to permit
employees to spend the same portion of their basic
compensation for current living as they would in
Washington, D.C. while assigned in a foreign area
where the costs of goods and services are substantially
higher. Full-time employees receive post allowance
if working at a location for which a post allowance
is authorized. Part-time and intermittent employees
do not receive post allowance. The amount paid
is a flat rate based on the employee's basic salary,
size of family, and post assignment, regardless
of individual expenses. The designation of eligibility
of a post to receive the allowance and the flat
rates to be used are determined by the Department
of State.
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WHO
IS AUTHORIZED POST ALLOWANCE?
All full-time U.S. citizen employees officially stationed in a foreign area are
authorized a post allowance, regardless of eligibility for other allowances.
The employee's post of assignment, salary, and number of eligible family members
determine the amount authorized.
WHAT DO I NEED TO SUBMIT?
SF-1190 (Foreign
Allowances Application, Grant, and Report)
Click
here for instructions on how to complete the SF-1190.
WHERE DO I SUBMIT THE PAPERWORK?
You must submit the required documentation to your servicing district Personnel
Representative.
WILL I BE PAID POST ALLOWANCE WHILE I AM RECEIVING TEMPORARY QUARTERS SUBSISTENCE
ALLOWANCE (TQSA)?
No, Post Allowance will not be paid with TQSA.
For more FAQs, click
here. |
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TEMPORARY
QUARTERS SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCE (TQSA)
(Overseas
Areas) TQSA is intended to assist in covering the
average cost of adequate, but not elaborate or
unnecessary expensive accommodations in a hotel,
pension, or other transient-type quarters at the
post of assignment, plus reasonable meal and laundry
expenses for a period not in excess of 90 days
after first arrival at a new post of assignment
in a foreign area, ending with the occupation of
residence quarters if earlier, or 30 days immediately
preceding final departure from the post following
necessary vacating of residence quarters. The 90
and 30 day temporary quarters subsistence periods
may be extended up to, but not more than, an additional
60 days in each case if it is determined by the
area director that compelling reasons beyond the
control of the employee require continued occupancy
of temporary quarters. The amount of TQSA which
may be reimbursed to employees is set forth in
Sections 123.3 and 124.3 of the Department of State
Standardized Regulations (DSSR). Note: According
to Section 127b. of the DSSR, any post allowance
(COLA) which would be otherwise authorized under
Section 220 of the DSSR shall not be paid for any
period during which TQSA is paid.
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WHAT
DO I NEED TO SUBMIT TO INITIATE TQSA?
SF-1190 (Foreign
Allowance Application, Grant, and Report)
DSSR
Section 960 (Temporary Quarters Subsistence Allowance
Worksheet)
Lodging receipts
HOW DO I COMPLETE THE
FORM?
Click here for instructions on completing the SF-1190 and
the DSSR
Section 960.
HOW OFTEN MUST I SUBMIT TQSA?
Submit your TQSA package every ten (10) days while in temporary lodging.
WHERE DO I SUBMIT AND/OR REQUEST THE FORMS?
You can request the forms from your servicing district Personnel Office, or obtain
the forms by clicking on the links above. You must bring all of the required
documentation to your servicing district Personnel Field Office.
HOW DO I GET PAID THE TQSA REIMBURSEMENT?
By direct deposit in your payroll account.
HOW MUCH AM I AUTHORIZED FOR TQSA?
Rates are established by the State Department and are subject to change at any
time.
Click
here for current per diem rates. For more FAQs, please click
here |
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LIVING
QUARTERS ALLOWANCE
Government Housing or Living Quarters Allowance (LQA). LQA is a quarters allowance granted to an eligible employee assigned to a foreign area for the annual cost of living quarters (including utilities) for the employee and his/her family when government quarters are not made available to him/her. To be eligible for LQA, employees must be recruited from the United States for service in a foreign area, or been determined eligible for LQA by HQ DoDEA based on the waiver provisions contained in DoD 1400.25M, Subchapter 1250, Paragraph SC1250.5.1.1.2. Employees hired locally in the foreign area are generally not eligible for LQA.
To be eligible for LQA, the employee must live in off-base housing that has been approved for occupancy by the Base Housing Office. The LQA varies depending on employee’s grade, accompanied or unaccompanied status, number of accompanying dependents and geographic area in which employed. LQA is intended to cover the reasonable cost of rent, heat, electricity, water, and/or gas incurred by the employee up to the maximum for the employee’s category. An employee must complete and submit to the DoDEA Personnel Center a Standard Form 1190, Foreign Allowances Application, Grant, and Report, before LQA is granted. The initial grant will be determined by actual or estimated expenses shown on the SF 1190. If employees are estimating their utility costs, they should ensure the estimates are as accurate as possible to avoid overpayments.
When there is a change in quarters or number of dependents present with the employee at the employee’s assigned installation or when there is any other change which might require revision or termination of LQA, the employee must promptly complete an SF 1190 and submit it to the Personnel Center.
Employees are required to submit an LQA Reconciliation SF 1190 to the Personnel Center within 30 days of the first anniversary date on which expenses for the past 12 months have been documented and to which all receipts for these expenses are attached. This LQA Reconciliation for the first year will be used to determine whether the employee has been underpaid or overpaid for the first year of LQA and to establish a rate of LQA for payment in the preceding year. The LQA Reconciliation is also used to report LQA activity to the State Department. All LQA grants will be reconciled at the first annual review time or at the time of termination of the LQA grant, whichever is earlier. Overpayments will be collected and underpayments reimbursed within the established LQA maximums. Employees are not required to submit annual LQA Reconciliations after the second or subsequent years as long as the employee remains in the same quarters.
Intermittent and part-time employees are not eligible for LQA.
LQA authorized amounts are determined by the Department
of State and is subject to change any time.
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Current
Department of State Standardized Regulations
LQA rates for:
Japan
Korea
Okinawa
Use
the Department of State Standardized Regulations
Chart to determine your authorized LQA.
If
you are with family, use the following percentages
to determine your authorized"with family" rate: |
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2-3
Dependents
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Add
an additional 10%
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4-5
Dependents
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Add
an additional 20%
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6+
Dependents
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Add
an additional 30%
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TO
DETERMINE YOUR LQA QUARTERS GROUP: |
| Quarters
Group 2 |
Quarters
Group 3 |
Quarters
Group 4 |
***NOTE*** |
| GS/GM
Grades 14 and Up |
Schedule
C
Bachelor's Degree
Step 4 and Above
Schedules D-F, K, L, and M-O
GS.GM
Grades 10-13
WG
(14-15)
WL (12-15)
WS (11-19)
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Schedule
C
Bachelor's Degree
Step 1-3
GS
Grades 1-9
WG
(1-13)
WL (1-11)
WS (1-10)
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15
or More Year of Government Service and in the
Following Grades:
GS
(7-9)
WG (12-13)
WL (10-11)
WS (1-10)
Will
Be Placed in Quarters Group 3
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WHAT
DO I NEED TO SUBMIT TO INITIATE MY LQA?
• SF-1190 (Foreign
Allowances Application, Grant, and Report)
• DSSR-130 (LQA-Living
Quarters Allowance Annual/Interim Expenditures Worksheet)
• DD-2367 (Individual Overseas Housing Allowance-this form is issued by
the post housing referral Office)
• Receipts (Agency Fees, etc.)
HOW DO I COMPLETE THE FORM?
Click
here for instructions on completing the SF-1190 and the DSSR-130 (Expenditures
Worksheet)
WHERE DO I SUBMIT MY PAPERWORK?
You must bring all of the required documentation to your servicing district Personnel
Field Office.
CAN I RECEIVE LQA AND TQSA AT THE SAME TIME?
No. Your TQSA (Temporary Quarters Subsistence Allowance) will terminate when
your LAQ begins. You cannot receive both allowances at the same time.
WHAT IF MY SPOUSE AND I ARE BOTH EMPLOYED IN OUR OWN RIGHT?
If married couples are both eligible for quarters' allowance, they must elect,
in writing who will claim the "with family" rate and who will claim
the "without family" rate. If there are no other family members, both
employees will receive "without family" rates.
WHAT IF I AM A CIVILIAN ELIGIBLE FOR LQA BUT MARRIED TO A MILITARY MEMBER?
A civilian married to a military member would draw the "without family" rate
for LQA because the military sponsor would already draw the "with family" rate.
Civilian spouses residing with a military member in U.S. government quarters do
not receive LQA.
WHAT IF I DECIDE TO SHARE A HOUSE WITH ANOTHER PERSON?
Employees sharing quarters with a military member or civilian must identify the
person(s) with whom they are sharing in Item 22 of the SF-1190. They must also
provide the amount the cohabitant receives in BAQ, OHA, or LQA, and divulge the
amount they contribute to expenses. Payments received from other sources are
deducted from your monthly LQA payment and employee receives reimbursement for
the remaining portion. When an employee lets or bus-lets a portion of the quarters
for which they are receiving LAQ, he or she must complete Item 24 of the SF-1190.
To substantiate the employee's share of the total costs for quarters, employee
will provide a NOTARIZED copy of the sublease agreement.
WHAT IF I TAKE EXTENDED LEAVE WITHOUT PAY?
Payment of LQA ceases when LWOP exceeds 30 calendar days. Allowances will not
be paid for any period in which the employee is absent without leave (AWOL) or
suspended from duty.
ARE THERE ANY LIVING COSTS I CANNOT CLAIM?
You may not claim servants' quarters/wages, telephone installation, cleaning,
storage, lawn service, maintenance, community charges, TV license, and other
expenses that are not utility payments or rent.
CAN I CLAIM GARBAGE AND TRASH DISPOSAL?
Yes. Effective 6/20/99, garbage and trash disposal are now reimbursable LQA expenses.
The reference is Section 131.2 of the DSSR (Department of State Standardized
Regulations). The DSSR-130 (LQA Living Quarters Allowance Annual/Interim Expenditures
Worksheet) lists a block for garbage and trash disposal. You would claim your
amount on this form.
If you are a current employee who has not claimed this reimbursable expense,
in order to claim it, you should submit a new SF-1190 and a new DSSR-130 (showing
the expense now), plus receipts. You do not have to wait for a LQA reconciliation
to claim this expense.
For more FAQs, click
here. |
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FOREIGN
POST DIFFERENTIAL (FPD)
(Overseas
Areas) A FPD is additional compensation paid to
an eligible employee in a foreign area where conditions
of the environment differ substantially from conditions
in the United States and additional compensation
is warranted as a recruitment incentive. FPD is
usually only paid to employees who were recruited
from the United States. The FPD is subject to income
tax. The Department of State conducts a periodic
review of FPD rates based on changes in living
conditions at various foreign posts. Rates are
therefore subject to change at any time. The Personnel
Division will authorize payment of FPD to eligible
employees. Payment of FPD may be terminated when
an employee leaves the foreign area on TDY or leave.
Local-hire employees are normally not eligible
for FPD.
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SEPARATE
MAINTENANCE ALLOWANCE (SMA)
(Overseas
Areas). The SMA is intended to assist an employee
to offset the additional expense incurred when
he/she must maintain a separate household for dependents
elsewhere. This situation can occur when an employee
is precluded from taking dependents to the duty
site for the convenience of the Government or because
of dangerous, notably unhealthy, or excessively
adverse living conditions at the post in a foreign
area. SMA may also be appropriately requested when
an employee, because of special need or hardship
involving the employee or the employee’s spouse
or dependents, elects not to have one or more members
of the family accompany the employee on the overseas
assignment. Once an election for SMA is made and
approved, the employee’s request to change
the election may be made only under exceptional
circumstances and must be submitted through higher
supervisory levels for approval. The grant of SMA
impacts on other entitlements such as travel and
transportation, quarters allowance and post allowance,
as applicable. To apply for SMA contact the DoDEA
Personnel Center liaison staff.
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WHO
IS ELIGIBLE FOR SMA?
Employees recruited in the United States or outside the United States whose eligibility
will be determined at the time of hire, or at any time changes occur in their
status which may confer eligibility. Employees must also meet the criteria listed
above.
WHO IS NOT ELIGIBLE
FOR SMA?
Intermittent and NTE employees are not eligible for separate maintenance allowance.
WHAT FORM DO I NEED
TO SUBMIT TO REQUEST SMA?
A SF-1190 should
be submitted prior to departure from CONUS or immediately upon arrival at the
new duty station, as well as a written memorandum stating the reason you believe
you are entitled to SMA.
HOW MUCH WILL I RECEIVE
FOR SMA?
payment of SMA is contingent on the number of family members residing elsewhere.
SMA stops at AGE 18 unless the dependent is still in high school or incapable
of self-support (disabled or handicapped). Payment of SMA is biweekly and under
code "SMA" on the Leave and Earnings Statement.
UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES
IS SMA NOT APPROVED?
SMA is not approved if there is a voluntary legal separation between the employee
and the spouse. It is not approved when a child's legal custody is vested wholly
or in part in a person other than the employee. It will also not be approved
when a member of the family would not normally reside with the employee or if
the spouse of an employee is either a member of the military services or a U.S.
civilian employee subject to a worldwide assignment. Children on educational
travel at the college or secondary level may not receive SMA.
WHAT IF MY FAMILY DECIDES
TO JOIN ME OVERSEAS AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME?
Payment of SMA ceases when a visit by the family exceeds 30 days. Record changes
to family status on a SF-1190 and send to your servicing personnel field office
immediately. These include divorce and legal separation. SMA terminates when
the employee returns to live with their family or the day the dependents arrive
at the overseas duty station.
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TEMPORARY
QUARTERS SUBSISTENCE EXPENSE (TQSE)
(Guam)
TQSE is governed by the Joint Travel Regulations
(JTR) Volume II. TQSE is authorized by the JTR
for employees assigned to a duty station in the
United States. Guam is a U.S. territory, and thus
TQSE is authorized in Guam for employees on permanent
change of station (PCS) orders. Excluded from eligibility
for TQSE by the JTR are new appointees assigned
to their first duty station.
For
more information concerning TQSE, view the Joint
Travel Regulations, CHAPTER
13; SUBSISTENCE EXPENSES WHILE OCCUPYING TEMPORARY
QUARTERS. |
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NON-FOREIGN
DIFFERENTIAL
(Guam)
Non-foreign differential is additional pay authorized
under section 5941 of Title 5 of the United States
Code for a location in a non-foreign area when
conditions of environment differs substantially
from conditions of environment in the contiguous
48 states and warrant additional pay as a recruitment
incentive.
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NON-FOREIGN
ALLOWANCE (COLA)
(Guam)
The non-foreign cost of living allowance is an
allowance payable under section 5941 of Title 5
of the United States Code at a post in a nonforeign
area where living costs are substantially higher
than in the District of Columbia.
Current NON-FOREIGN
AREA COST-OF-LIVING ALLOWANCE RATES. |
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Last Updated:
January 19, 2010
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