BAH recertification

  • Published
  • By 355th Comptroller Squadron
  • Financial Services Flight
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz --  The call to have all members recertify their Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) "with dependent" rate is a Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness (FIAR) mandate in order to establish a method of complying with the FY 2010 National Defense Authorization for document retention.

Members who receive "with dependent" rate include those who are married to civilian, married to another military member and claiming a child, single with dependent, single paying child support and secondary dependents. This recertification effort only applies to active duty and Active Guard Reserve (AGR) members. The recertification does not apply to single members.

To facilitate this requirement, approximately 10% of the base population will be contacted each month. When the member receives the email notification, they have 30 days to provide the required documentation. If the documents have not been received by the suspense, the finance office is required to stop the "with dependent" rate and reduce the member's rate to single. If the member brings in the documentation after the suspense date, the "with dependent" rate with be restarted effective the date the member brought in the documentation. The "with dependent" rate is not automatically back paid if the member fails to bring in the required documents in the allotted time.

If a member was grandfathered into a higher "with dependent" rate BAH and does not recertify within the 30 days, the member will lose that grandfathered rate once they recertify.

Deployed members will be given a grace period to recertify. A power of attorney will not be authorized for a spouse to recertify for the member.

Once the Financial Services Office reviews the supporting documentation they will have the member fill out an AF Form 594 and sign it in the finance office. Digital signatures are not authorized. The member's responsibility ends here. From then, the FSO will upload the AF Form 594 into the Case Management System (CMS). There is a process that will go into effect within the next 3-4 months which will pull the AF Form 594s from CMS and into Automated Records Management System (ARMS). The member will be able to view their certified AF Form 594 in ARMS.

There are 3,981 personnel requiring recertification here, therefore the 355th Comptroller Squadron recommends that the member wait until they receive their email before coming into the finance office. This method will reduce wait times for our customers. However, if a member is going TDY, they are encouraged to recertify prior to leaving.

In the future, any member who changes their dependency status to "with dependent" will have their AF Form 594 uploaded into CMS where they will be able to view it in ARMS.

Finance hours are from 0900-1500, Monday through Friday. Questions can be directed to 355CPTS.SpecActApps@us.af.mil.