A long-time Paycheck Chronicles reader sent me an email today, saying that her husband was unable to get Dislocation Allowance (DLA) until after their recent PCS was completed, and mentioned that several of her friends had similar situations. We're wondering...has anyone else had difficulty receiving DLA in advance? Has there been a change in policy, or was something odd happening at that one particular post?
In the past, service members were able to request advance DLA instead of waiting to request it on their travel claim. Many families used that money for expenses such as security deposits on new houses, or excess moving expenses. If, in fact, this wasn't an isolated incident and there has been a change to the regulations or the policies, then military families will need to change the way they structure their moving finances in the future. And they can't do that if they don't know.
If you have recently PCSed, please share your experience. Did you request advance DLA? Did you receive it? Did anything different or unusual occur with regard to DLA or any other allowances (besides the change to travel cards for Army and Marine Corps?)
While you're sharing, I'll dig around a little and ask some people who should know. Together, we'll get to the bottom of this!
