Financial Assistance

History has shown that if problems arise from your PCS it will most likely result from poor or nonexistent prior financial planning. In order to maintain your family's financial well being, you are strongly encouraged to plan for the financial aspects of your move. Where should you start? Start with your current Financial Educator at your current location.

Once you arrive and prior to PCSing or entering into any scheduled major family life-cycle event (such as PCSing) start by calling the NAS JRB Fort Worth Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC) at 817-782-5287 or DSN 312-739-5287.

Most families tend to spend more than is re-reimbursed by the government. In addition, a family's financial situation tends to change during a move. This can be as a result of the loss of a second income, unexpected expenses in route, vacation in route, auto repairs, utility deposits and other move-in costs at the new location. Please utilize the Financial Educator and Planning Counselor at your present location and visit or call our Personal Financial Counseling Subject Matter Expert once you arrive.

Our Personal Financial Counselor can help you and your family understand and plan for future fluctuations in family income.

Dislocation Allowance 

Active duty personnel with family members moving from a permanent duty station are entitled to a dislocation allowance which is paid to offset the costs of closing one home and setting up another. This allowance is equal to two and one half months BAQ. DLA is not available to those transferring in the same geographic location. DLA may be dispersed at the time of travel or upon arrival at the gaining command.

Mileage in Lieu of Transportation 

Service members receive a MALT when they drive to a new assignment. The allowance is computed on federal tables of the mileage between the old and new duty stations. Even though the official distance may be longer or shorter than the service member drives, the official distance determines the allowance payable. MALT is also paid to those going overseas if they drive from their stateside location to the port of embarkation for transcontinental plane or ship, or from the port of debarkation to the new duty station.

Check with your PSD to get current mileage rates. These rates apply to spouses authorized to travel alone or with family members and to sponsors traveling with family members. These rates also apply to travel in a second car when its use is authorized. MALT will be dispersed at the time of travel.

Per Diem Allowance

Along with DLA and MALT, food and lodging are allotted when making a PCS move. The allowance is paid at a per diem rate for you and your family members. POV travel at a rate of 350 miles per day is a per diem amount. Service members receive $50.00 a day plus $37.50 a day for their spouse and each family member at least twelve years of age and $25.00 a day for each family member under the age of twelve. When a spouse travels separately, the spouse receives $50.00 a day; and family members traveling with their spouse receive $37.50 a day or $25.00 day, depending on the age.

Temporary Lodging Entitlement

This allowance is for PCS transfers in the United States. TLE provides service members up to $110.00 a day for up to ten days to offset housing costs incurred locally before departing an old duty station or after reporting to a new duty station. TLE is figured by a complex formula similar to that for TLA. TLE is usually payable for a maximum of ten days. You must check into your command upon arrival to be eligible for TLE.

Temporary Living Allowance

New arrivals at overseas bases are eligible for this allowance to help offset the cost of temporary housing and meals. You are entitled to TLA even if you move into temporary government quarters. The amount of TLA depends on several factors, including family size, local per diem rate, actual cost of quarters and whether the quarters provide cooking or dining facilities. A single person receives 65% of the local per diem rate if actual expenses are that much, and a member with one or two family members receives 100% of the local per diem rate if expenses warrant. For each additional family member, the per diem rate is raised by 25%. TLA is paid in fifteen-day increments and usually up to a sixty day limit for those arriving and a ten-day limit for those departing overseas.

(Please only consider as a last option. As soon as you receive your orders, a spending plan must be developed early enough to save extra money to be used to assist with the moving expenses. Many times advance pay is spent on other "emergencies" and often depleted before actual moving expenses are incurred. In addition, advance pay is a "dead horse" that automatically reduces your take-home pay to use for bills and unforeseen moving expenses. Talk to your Command Financial Specialist prior to drawing advance pay. )

No more than three months advanced pay may be drawn. The advance is normally repaid in equal installments over twelve months. In certain cases, re-payment can be spread over twenty-four months. Advance pay is your base pay, not pay with allowances. If approved by your commanding officer, an advanced housing allowance can be drawn. You must prove that this money will be used for housing costs. Advance housing allowance is up to three months BAH for a conus move. The allowance cannot exceed the anticipated housing cost.

For those moving overseas, OHA will offset your housing cost. Advanced housing allowances may be repaid over a twelve month period, and in exceptional circumstances may be repaid over a longer period. Remember, all advanced pay must be repaid.

House Hunting Leave

Permissive travel for house hunting can be authorized by your CO. This free time is executed through no cost TAD/TDY orders and cannot exceed ten days, five of which may be work days. House hunting leave can be authorized before you transfer or after you report to a new command.

Proceed time is an administrative absence not charged as leave (normally four days). It can be granted to personnel ordered to and from ships, or to mobile units having a sea/shore rotation code of 2 or 4, or from an "all other tours," and to or from an overseas accompanied tour.