Should soldiers be compensated for DoD Errors affecting pay?

2013-11-19T08:57:28-05:00

When the DoD over-pays a soldier, the money is drawn back out of their account or taken from the next pay check as quickly as the error is found. Sometimes the error goes the other way, and soldiers are left to file pay inquiries, take out AER Loans, use the Advanced Pay Option, or find other means of making ends meet while the Bureaucratic Paper-Pushing Machine goes through a bunch of ridiculous internal processes to resolve the issue. Some times this takes a while...

Personal Example: I transitioned from enlisted to officer and after 7 months my pay has still not been fixed. I've submitted a 1506 Time in Service Adjustment to the Fort Sam Houston Finance Office, and followed up there several times. The civilian in charge assured me that it was being worked on, and that it would be put in the system "in the next few weeks" then it would take "about 3 weeks from then to hit your account as back pay."

Do you think the DoD should provide some sort of "Sorry we took so long fixing our error" compensation?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 19 at 2013 9:27 AM

2013-11-19T09:27:34-05:00

I like this question 2LT Zuniga. My immediate thought is yes, the Soldier should be compensated for being placed in a position of undue burden. However, I end up changing my mind for a more practical solution.

I agree, there is no paperwork or waiting period involved for the DOD to correct an over-payment error. The DOD is not running around trying to get pay-day loans, AER loans, etc., to make due. However, when a trooper who is depending on pay and it does not hit his account, the government has immediately placed that SM in a bad position -- a position that can affect his family, his work performance and even his clearance.

There should be a system in place that immediately compensates the SM in the case of a pay and wages error. It should be similar to how my bank handles fraud on my account. When someone erroneously uses my funds, the bank does not make me jump through hoops; they ascertain the incorrect charges then immediately place the amount stolen back into my account and begin the investigation. Obviously, if I'm defrauding the bank, I'll pay for that in the end -- plus some. However, in the meantime, they're taking care of me after one simple phone call. The DOD should do the same. The SM should not have to find his leadership to sign papers and drive across post to apply for AER grants and loans or find other means of income to cover for a mistake the pay system made. The SM should not have to scramble. A phone call should be all that it takes.

Now, should that SM be paid extra? Nope. It gets tricky on that topic. Sure, some troopers are investing and they would have seen some small percentage of return in the amount of time the error is fixed, but that is definitely not happening across the board. And at what scale to we give to compensate for the undue hardship? Again, it's tricky and unclear. So, should the service member be compensated? Nope. If DOD would just implement a system as the one I described above, we'd be good to go.

Response by SGT Nathaniel Hiller made Nov 19 at 2013 9:45 AM

2013-11-19T09:45:54-05:00

DoD should compensate a Solider in a case such as under
paying. My family went five months with incorrect pay. For some reason that I
will not go into now, DoD was not able to correct the problem. Of course we
went into debt trying to fix the pay issue. At the very least DoD such
reimburse a solider for the interest incurred on a debt, due to their mistake.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 19 at 2013 9:57 AM

2013-11-19T09:57:01-05:00

I agree with SGT Hiller.

They should be paid for "real damages" ie they miss their rent payment or an auto draft bounces. This way actual harm to the soldier is mitigated. These needed corrections should also be tracked by an oversight agency, possibily as a means to force system modernization, or at the very least hold people accountable.

At the end of the day, i see it as taking care of soldiers.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 19 at 2013 9:58 AM

2013-11-19T09:58:15-05:00

I'm a big fan of personal responsibility. If the military overpays a Service Member and they blow the money, then when the DoD takes it back they are in a financial bind...that's on them.

However, if the DoD creates a situation by underpaying a Service Member, I can see where the Service Member should be compensated. It would have to be looked at on a case by case basis, and then ensuring equity across the force becomes an issue.

Response by Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen made Mar 28 at 2017 8:01 AM

2017-03-28T08:01:28-04:00

Good luck on that one. I agree that it shouldn't take as long as it does to implement a non routine pay transaction but I also question the service member doing things that put him/her in a financial bind because they haven't received that pay increase. Lets face it, getting money due to you always takes longer than taking money away, just think of a normal credit card transaction; money immediately comes out of your account but if you make a return or dispute on the charge it takes quite a while for you to see that money back in your account. You were making do before whatever caused the pay increase so continue living in that manner until that increase actually hits your bank account. Sure, make more and more visits to the finance office and use your chain of command to try to help the situation, but don't go out and buy that Ferrari because you just got a pay increase.