Department of Defense Military Allowances Entitlement. A Critical Review of the Determination Processes for Housing Allowances.
Abstract
This thesis addresses the multifaceted and potentially conflicting process that DoD financial managers use when determining a service member's entitlement to one or more of three specific types of housing allowances - Basic Miowance for Quarters (BAQ), Variable Housing Miowance (VHA), and Overseas Housing Miowance (QIlA). It has two objectives. The first is to simplify the determination process by consolidating rules that always lead to the same entitlement, without changing the amount to which any member is entitled. This objective is achieved by reducing the number of specffic rules by nearly 70 percent through consolidation, with no changes in costs to the government or benefits to members. The second objective is to investigate the feasibility of combining the three types of allowances into a single entitlement based only on the member's status as single, married, or divorced or separated. Such a combination, with no change in the amounts to which any member is entitled, would not simplify the process m any significant way. Combinations of allowances that would simplify the process would necessarily increase amounts paid to some members and decrease amounts paid to others - in some cases, very substantially. The net cost to the government might increase or decrease, depending on the particular combined amounts chosen.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA305535
Entities
People
- Roger C. Walker
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School