Family Separation Allowance


If your dependents cannot live with you at or near your permanent duty station, whether inside or outside the United States, you may be entitled to FSA.

FSA provides compensation for added expenses incurred because of an enforced family separation under one of the following conditions:
 
  • Transportation of dependents is not authorized at government expense, and the dependents do not live in the vicinity of your permanent duty station.
  • Transportation of dependents is authorized at government expense, but you have elected an unaccompanied tour of duty because a dependent cannot accompany you to the permanent station due to certified medical reasons.
  • You are on duty aboard a ship, and the ship is away from the homeport continuously for more than 30 days.
  • You are on temporary duty (TDY) (or temporary additional duty) away from the permanent station continuously for more than 30 days, and your dependents are not residing at or near the TDY station.

In addition, you may be entitled to FSA when your dependents are evacuated from a danger area and they temporarily occupy government quarters at a safe haven area. A safe haven location may be anywhere in the world named in the evacuation order, or subsequent modification to that order, to which a dependent is directed to relocate on a temporary basis to await a decision by competent authority to either return to the OCONUS permanent duty station or proceed to a designated place. (Reference DoDFMR Vol. 7A chapter 27)

FSA is payable at the rate of $250 per month (pro-rated to $8.33 per day for periods less than a month).

To apply for FSA, you should submit a completed DD Form 1561, Statement to Substantiate Payment of Family Separation Allowance (FSA), to your servicing personnel office.