How is lqa paid

Changes to entitlements are the employee's responsibility to report. You must report changes to your entitlements as they occur to avoid any over or under payment. Some examples would be, changes in duty location, family size, children return to the U. How do I find the maximum LQA rate applicable to me? How do I receive payment for my living quarters expenses? It is recommended to base estimates for utilities based on usage in the United States. Utility expenses are not any higher in the overseas area than in the United States.

Keep in mind if you overestimated you will accrual a debt to the government. Payment will be received in your normal biweekly check. Employees will receive 14 days of LQA per pay check. When the employee, or the spouse, or both own the residence that they are residing in, the employee's LQA will be computed based on the original purchase price of the residence. The original purchase price is converted to dollars based on the conversion rate on the date of purchase. Only the expenses for heat, water, electricity, garbage, sewage and in rare cases land rent, may be included in the LQA utility costs.

At the end of the year period, the employee will only be entitled to the utility expenses above. You must report changes to your entitlements, as they occur within 30 days to avoid any over or under payments. Some examples would be, changes in duty location, family size, children return to the US to go to school, hotel or residence changes or if sharing your residence with another individual.

NTS at Government expense may be authorized for a period of not to exceed the length of the tour of duty plus 1 month prior to the time the tour begins. Storage also may be authorized for subsequent service or tours of duty at the same or other overseas permanent duty station.

When employees ceases to be eligible for the allowance, storage at Government expense may continue until the beginning of the second month after the month in which eligibility terminates unless, to avoid inequity, the overseas command extends the period.

Eligibility shall be deemed to terminate on the last day of work at the post of duty. A copy of this notification will normally be sent to employees at their last known address.

The Predeparture Subsistence Expense Portion is granted to assist employees with the costs of temporary lodging, meals, laundry, and dry cleaning that are incurred when an employee transfers overseas from a post in the U.

This allowance may be granted for up to 10 days before final departure from a post in the U. The 10 days may be taken anywhere in the U. Your authorized amount is based on your family size and US duty location. Once you have departed your post using your travel orders and are not returning you are no longer eligible for Subsistence Expense.

All these expenses must be claimed with finance. An employee can itemize their expenses and claim reimbursement for up to 1 week's salary without family or 2 weeks salary with family not to exceed the salary of a GS, step Normally Miscellaneous expenses is submitted to finance on DD R. To view the listing of reimbursable items click here. Rental Contract: A rental contract will list the rental cost and in some cases a utility payment to the landlord for certain utilities.

A: When an employee to whom LQA has been granted is moved to Government-owned or -leased quarters that are provided to the employee at no personal cost, LQA terminates on the date immediately preceding that on which the Government quarters are made available. Exceptions to this occur if employees occupy Government-owned or -leased quarters only during the temporary absences of the regular occupants and at the same time are obliged to maintain their own quarters.

If the local Housing Board determines that it is in the Government's best interest, LQA may be terminated and the employee moved to Government-owned or -leased quarters at any point in time.

A: You will need to submit a completed Living Quarters Expenditure Worksheet to your Management Officer or the authorizing officer at post along with documentation on the increase in your rent.

Allowance Rates. General Information. Quarterly Report Indexes. Government does not provide quarters. The allowance is computed and paid at annual rates, divided by the number of days in the calendar year to obtain a daily rate; and then the daily rate is multiplied by 14 to obtain a biweekly rate.

The authorizing officer is responsible for approving the advance based on the requirement in DSSR The amount that may be paid in advance is made in accordance with agency guidelines for a period of not more than one year unless specifically approved by the authorizing officer.

Refundable security deposits cannot be included in the advance. However, agents' fees may be included in the advance provided certification is made under Section At locations requiring excessive initial rental expenses e. A: You should check with your post's housing office to find suitable housing that also meets security standards. Once you've found suitable quarters, you'll need to sign the lease and file an SF with the authorizing officer at your post.

A: Agencies may allow employees to use LQA to pay up to 10 percent of the original purchase price converted to U. The total paid cannot exceed the LQA rate set for the post.

See DSSR for details. If the employee's actual expenses are less than the amount paid, the employee will be indebted for that overpayment. Additionally, once the reconciliation is completed, the employee's LQA authorization will be adjusted to reflect actual expenses.

SMA is designed to help an employee who is compelled by reasons of dangerous, notably unhealthful or excessively adverse living conditions at the foreign post of assignment, or for convenience of the Government, or because of family considerations, to defray the additional expense of maintaining family members at another location.

Involuntary SMA is paid when family members are prohibited from residing at the foreign post. Children are eligible for Involuntary SMA until they reach 21 years of age. Voluntary SMA is paid when family members may go to a foreign post but opt not to for personal reasons including but not limited to career, health, educational or family considerations for spouse and children.

Children lose eligibility for voluntary SMA when they turn 18, unless they are still in secondary school e. The authorization of SMA for a family member is in lieu of any Government paid travel and allowances on behalf of that family member. Educational Travel may be authorized for the dependents of employees who are eligible for a living quarters allowance.

This allowance permits one round trip annually between a school attended in the U. Requests for educational travel are submitted through the Travel Order Processing System. Please note that if our link is down, the rates are also available on the State Department's website at www.

View the Post Allowance payment tables. Foreign Area Allowances. Advances of Pay. Post Allowance PA. Personally Owned Quarters When quarters occupied by an employee are owned by the employee, or the spouse, or both, an amount of up to 10 percent of the original purchase price converted to U. Reporting Adjustments to your LQA Employees are responsible for reporting any changes that may affect their allowance authorization.

Educational Travel Allowance. Applying for Foreign Area Allowances. When you click on the HELP Menu you will have access to four additional menu items: Manuals - Operating manuals for each of the four different type log-ins employee, principal, district, and headquarters. Users have a choice of reviewing the manuals online or printing a copy. Allowance Rates.