Military Allotment: is this how they work?

Question

I was curious about this... Say for instance i get paid 1500 a paycheck including BAH and BAS for being married.... If i set up an allotment for 1050 to cover rent than on each paycheck i will go down from 1500 to 975 each paycheck cuz they would take 525 out of each paycheck to make up the 1050 correct.

Answer 1

You are correct, that is exactly how it is done. Now be careful when you set up the allotment. If you start the allotment after the 15 but you want it to become effective the following month, they will take the entire amount out of your next pay period. It is best to start a lease allotment between the 1st and 7th of the month. This way they only take part out each payday.

Answer 2

You're correct. Allotments are deposited/paid on the 1st of every month (or the last working day of the month if the 1st falls on a weekend or Federal holiday). So, if your monthly pay is $3000, deduct your rent allotment of $1050 for a total of $1950 left over; divide that by 2 for your bi-weekly paycheck of $975 (all figures are before deductions, so you'll actually get less once all your deductions are taken out).

Answer 3

In the military, the active duty member will get base pay. Base pay is determined by rank and time in service. Pay charts are available on line...do a search and check them as it will give you a good idea of the minimum you will get each month. Military members who are not using the chow hall for all their meals (which he will be doing while in basic and tech school, so that money will not be there until he is at his first base,) get BAS. This money is to pay for food basically and it is for the active duty member, not the family. The amount is the same for all active duty, single or married, who qualify to live outside the dorms. If your husband deploys, that allowance will be stopped but you may get seperation and/or hazardous duty pay in it's place. Married active duty members (or ones that have dependents living with them on a full time basis) are entitled to BAH. BAH is to cover housing costs. It is determined by rank, if the member is single or has dependents and the location. Getting married before your husband ships out to start his training means he would be eligable to recieve the housing allowance, which would help pay the cost of rent and bills. Now keep in mind that after he completes basic, your housing allowance will change each time you get orders and it is meant to cover 80% of the costs of renting, not the whole thing. I am betting this is what you are referring to as an "allotment". In the military, allotments is basically money taken directly from the active duty member's paycheck and given to another party..a landlord, the bank for a loan, into the account of a spouse or for child support. Your husband would have to establish an allotment to your checking account while he is away if you do not have a joint account and/or he can set allotments to pay the rent or car payments directly from his check, saving you from having to do it. In the military, you will often get answers that differ when you ask other spouses, other military members and sometimes even the same commander on different days! I always tell new wives the best thing to do is ask the person who would know..for pay issues, the finance office. However, keep in mind that many times they will not give you specific information (for example, only your husband can start or stop an allotment, sign you up for the housing list, etc) but they can explain how things work and point in the right direction. Always keep an updated list of contact numbers to all the important offices on base..housing, finance, the medical clinics, family support, the chapel to name a few..for any base your husband is stationed at. Good luck and welcome to the military!