Following any official travel, you are required to file a travel claim. This is especially important if you received a travel advance. This final step is required so that your advance is liquidated in the financial system. This includes when you complete a permanent change of station (PCS) move. If you have questions on this process, you are encouraged to visit the PPC travel website, which describes the process for filing PCS travel claims.
Many members received money prior to or after go live of the new financial system. While some people may consider receipt of advanced dislocation allowance (DLA) or other types of PCS advances as being paid for the move, your move is not considered completed until you file your travel claim.
How do I file a PCS travel claim?
At the moment there are two very important steps that you need to complete. First, work with your approving officials (AO) to complete a TPAX PCS travel claim. Once this is complete, your AO will forward your claim to the PPC Travel Branch, who will then review your claim for accuracy – in case you missed something, or there are any questions. Once they complete their review, you will have instructions for step two: completing your PCS claim using ETS.
Why should I file my travel claim?
Filing a travel claim is putting the bow on the package – even better, that package may contain additional funds for you. The advances that you receive prior to a PCS move are not meant to cover all of your expenses.
Also, when you file your travel claim, it communicates to the Coast Guard Financial Center (FINCEN) financial command that the funds allocated to you were used in the manner they were meant to be used. If you don’t file a claim, you will receive a debt notification and you will be required to pay all of your advances back to the Coast Guard.
So, take a moment, file your claim to reconcile your travel advances, and maybe even receive more funds in the bank!
Where do I find additional information for filing PCS travel claims?
Looking for more information? Visit the PCS Advances & PCS Claims guide.
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Resources:
PCS Advances & PCS Claims guide
PPC travel website