Category:
Pay & Allowances

Subcategory:
Entitlements

Created:
2005-12-12

Modified:
2011-05-20

FSA Eligibility

Question

What is the criteria for receiving FSA?

Answer

FSA is payable only to service members with dependents. To be entitled, the family separation must be involuntary. That is, the dependent(s) may not accompany the member at government expense. A service member must apply for FSA by submitting a completed DD Form 1561, Statement to Substantiate Payment of Family Separation Allowance (FSA) to the member's finance office.

FSA is payable for assignments inside or outside the United States. The current monthly amount of FSA is $250. There are three types of FSA.

1. FASFSA-Restricted (FSA-R) is payable to a service member when transportation of dependents is not authorized at government expense, and the dependents do not live in the vicinity of the member's homeport/permanent duty station.

2. FSA-Ship (FSA-S) is payable to a service member who is on duty aboard a ship, and the ship is away from the homeport continuously for more than 30 days.

3. FSA-Temporary (FSA-T) is payable to a service member who is on temporary duty (TDY) (or temporary additional duty) away from the permanent station continuously for more than 30 days, and the member's dependents are not residing at or near the TDY station. This includes members who are required to perform a period of the TDY before reporting to their initial station of assignment.

Effective October 1, 2008, FSA became payable to both members of a married couple, when both are members of the uniformed services, regardless of whether they are serving in the same or different branches of service. In order to qualify, the couple must have been residing together with their dependents prior to being assigned to duty assignments resulting in an involuntary separation of the family. Each service member receives the full amount of the monthly allowance from the date of detachment from the old permanent duty station (or the first day of authorized travel if authorized proceed time or leave is involved) until he or she is no longer assigned to the qualifying duty assignment. The allowance will continue for the other member until that member is no longer assigned to a qualifying duty assignment.

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