PLD/Sea Duty Allowance

[Declajaz]

Anyone have any rumours on the proposed changes to PLD and Sea Duty Allowance? The last official thing I heard yesterday from my CoC is that changes to both are coming this fall and to prepare our sections for them.

No indication if the propsed changes are good or bad. Honestly, I would like to try to stay positive, but when I have staff that have 2nd (and third) jobs and I myself as a Senior NCM have a 2nd job right now it is difficult. Even a smidge of a positive rumour would help morale.

 

[Ignatius]

Negative, but speaking of Sea Duty Allowance. Any word on the payouts that were being worked on for the numerous personnel who are owed SDA for past Naval Deployments from 2003 to a recent date? Any word on what timeframe we might see it? I understand, yes, that this daunting process takes a long time given the number of people affected, but I do know the process got started on it quite a while back now and was wondering if there was any new update on when we might see our owed money? I, personally don't expect anything until years from now, but any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Furniture]

Negative, but speaking of Sea Duty Allowance. Any word on the payouts that were being worked on for the numerous personnel who are owed SDA for past Naval Deployments from 2003 to a recent date? Any word on what timeframe we might see it? I understand, yes, that this daunting process takes a long time given the number of people affected, but I do know the process got started on it quite a while back now and was wondering if there was any new update on when we might see our owed money? I, personally don't expect anything until years from now, but any input would be greatly appreciated.

I received my backpay for SDA in August, so I can assure you it is happening. They are working through alphabetically I believe, and have made it to G at least.

 

[Oldarmyguy77]

I have no idea how true it is, but there are rumours of an 18 percent pay raise coming soon on another thread. It seems noone seems to know if pld will be updated, or tossed out. This would be just my luck to posted a base with decent pld in July, after 20 plus years of postings with nil, only to get it axed three months later.... Haha, isn't it ironic don't ya think.

 

[baneburn]

Gather round for long and convoluted story. Some of the details might be a bit fuzzy as I'm working off memory and what I can find on the internet vs. DWAN.

An updated CBI related to allowances was released in 2003, it happened to leave out any mention of incompatibility of SDA and HA. Over the years, CAF adjusted policy (without Treasure Board approval) believing that it was an error that you could not collect both at the same time. There was even a period that you could choose which allowance you wanted to receive, whatever level SDA you were collecting, or Level 3 HA (or higher if approved) which was the RCN baseline before Strategic Joint Staff took it away in 2016 or 2018.

# 2016-166 - Eligibility to collect Hardship Allowance (HA) and Sea Duty Allowance (SDA) concurrently., - Canada.ca

Finally after many grievances since that time, this one (link above) about collecting SDA and HA concurrently made it through and was taken to TB for the final say, which seems to be missing from this internet version. Additionally, the committee had some pointed comments about the grievance:

"The Committee found that, in accordance with the TB-approved CBI, the grievor was entitled to be paid the SDA and the HA for the period he was deployed on a maritime operation and that there was no bar to him receiving both allowances.

The Committee was of the opinion that the two allowances served different purposes and although there might be common factors associated with each allowance, this did not automatically equate to double compensation. Furthermore, even if it could be argued that there was overlap in the rationale for the HA and the SDA, the Committee found no clear instruction from TB that both allowances could not be paid.

Accordingly, the Committee determined that in the absence of regulatory concurrence from TB, the CAF was without authority to decide that a benefit was not payable when a military member was plainly eligible. The Committee concluded that if it was TB intent to disqualify members receiving the HA from entitlement to the SDA, then the proper route was to amend the CBI and, to date, this had not been done."

"The Committee also made a systemic recommendation that the CAF conduct a review to ensure that all military members who had deployed on maritime operations since 2 September 2003 had been appropriately paid the HA and the SDA, as applicable."

CANFORGEN 087/19 released in June 2019 clarified the multiple changes that had been approved by Treasury Board, additionally changes to the pay system. Additionally NAVGENs were released and at some point a link was provided to a SharePoint site.

This SharePoint site on the DWAN, titled something like "2003-2019 SDA/HA Grievance Project", though announced in 2019 as a 3-5 year project, didn't start until 2021, still with a 3-5 year timeline. There is an seldom updated excel file that you can enter your service number to confirm you have an Assyst ticket, originally there was a description that would also tell you if the file was open, in process, or completed. But that part appears to have broken in the last year.

Approx. 10,000 files to be processed, the method selected for the process was reverse alphabetical service number. It was announced this year they had completed Z through T through a formation email, until you realize that we only use 14 letters for SNs and it starts at V, then T, and R etc. So reality in 1.5 years they have made it through 3 SN prefixes, only 11 more to go.

The other issue was there was a delay in Department Hardship & Risk Committee (DHRC) messages for RCN missions between 2017-2019. When the messages were released long after the deployments, some ship's offices didn't process them as the crew was long gone. At least one Base OR was in the process of organizing the files when this CANFORGEN came down and the pay system changes were implemented, DMPAP became the only ones that can pay HA to members that collected SDA during that time waiting for the DHRC. So for one coast at least 5 units have had their HA locked into this process due to the delay, maybe to see their allowances by 2026?

Most members I've talked to that have received theirs, it shows up as a single line on there pay statement, none of the usual + and - when our pay is adjusted, so there is no information there to confirm.

Unlike a SDA audit conducted by a ship's office where the member gets to acknowledge and sign, there is no way for the member to confirm that it has been done correctly, just blind faith in the process and that your HA hasn't been missed. The project site states that pay notes will be attached to the ticket, and I suppose they could be reviewed by an HRA if the member asked, but I haven't got a confirmation on it yet. According to the site, Ship's offices/ORs are not allowed to query DMPAP about the status of a files.

In closing, congratulations to those that have received their grievance result SDA and missing HA/HAB. There are still going to be a lot of people waiting a very long time for theirs.

New NAVGEN provides updates to Sea Duty, Submarine and Hardship Allowance payments - Canada.ca

 

[Halifax Tar]

Gather round for long and convoluted story. Some of the details might be a bit fuzzy as I'm working off memory and what I can find on the internet vs. DWAN.

An updated CBI related to allowances was released in 2003, it happened to leave out any mention of incompatibility of SDA and HA. Over the years, CAF adjusted policy (without Treasure Board approval) believing that it was an error that you could not collect both at the same time. There was even a period that you could choose which allowance you wanted to receive, whatever level SDA you were collecting, or Level 3 HA (or higher if approved) which was the RCN baseline before Strategic Joint Staff took it away in 2016 or 2018.

# 2016-166 - Eligibility to collect Hardship Allowance (HA) and Sea Duty Allowance (SDA) concurrently., - Canada.ca

Finally after many grievances since that time, this one (link above) about collecting SDA and HA concurrently made it through and was taken to TB for the final say, which seems to be missing from this internet version. Additionally, the committee had some pointed comments about the grievance:



CANFORGEN 087/19 released in June 2019 clarified the multiple changes that had been approved by Treasury Board, additionally changes to the pay system. Additionally NAVGENs were released and at some point a link was provided to a SharePoint site.

This SharePoint site on the DWAN, titled something like "2003-2019 SDA/HA Grievance Project", though announced in 2019 as a 3-5 year project, didn't start until 2021, still with a 3-5 year timeline. There is an seldom updated excel file that you can enter your service number to confirm you have an Assyst ticket, originally there was a description that would also tell you if the file was open, in process, or completed. But that part appears to have broken in the last year.

Approx. 10,000 files to be processed, the method selected for the process was reverse alphabetical service number. It was announced this year they had completed Z through T through a formation email, until you realize that we only use 14 letters for SNs and it starts at V, then T, and R etc. So reality in 1.5 years they have made it through 3 SN prefixes, only 11 more to go.

The other issue was there was a delay in Department Hardship & Risk Committee (DHRC) messages for RCN missions between 2017-2019. When the messages were released long after the deployments, some ship's offices didn't process them as the crew was long gone. At least one Base OR was in the process of organizing the files when this CANFORGEN came down and the pay system changes were implemented, DMPAP became the only ones that can pay HA to members that collected SDA during that time waiting for the DHRC. So for one coast at least 5 units have had their HA locked into this process due to the delay, maybe to see their allowances by 2026?

Most members I've talked to that have received theirs, it shows up as a single line on there pay statement, none of the usual + and - when our pay is adjusted, so there is no information there to confirm.

Unlike a SDA audit conducted by a ship's office where the member gets to acknowledge and sign, there is no way for the member to confirm that it has been done correctly, just blind faith in the process and that your HA hasn't been missed. The project site states that pay notes will be attached to the ticket, and I suppose they could be reviewed by an HRA if the member asked, but I haven't got a confirmation on it yet. According to the site, Ship's offices/ORs are not allowed to query DMPAP about the status of a files.

In closing, congratulations to those that have received their grievance result SDA and missing HA/HAB. There are still going to be a lot of people waiting a very long time for theirs.

New NAVGEN provides updates to Sea Duty, Submarine and Hardship Allowance payments - Canada.ca

I was told my audit is done and in Ottawa for approval... Then told not to hold my breath.

 

[CountDC]

That's great. I haven't even been able to get a confirmation that my SDA audit was done.