Single Quarters & Rations (R&Q) [MERGED]

[Nfld Sapper]

BMQ-Land or SQ still exists for all trades that wear a Green DEU less Infantry......

 

[Eye In The Sky]

If you pay rations after BMQ will depend primarily on "how" you proceed on the next phase of training.  If you are posted (prohibited) until you are going to pay rations.  If you are Attach Posted from CFLRS, as an example, to the CFSMET Winnipeg, then you will likely not pay rations.  That is not something I know or you can control really.

So it is kind of hard to answer with a solid "yes" or "no".  It is more accurately stated "possible but it depends".

If you are married and maintain the residence (i.e. keep the apt...which is likely...) you shouldn't have to pay the quarters $.

 

[d_edwards]

I don t know if this is still allowed but people have applied to delink rations and pay meals directly.  Depends on base perhaps but this was 13 years ago in esquimalt.  Hedgeing your bets on a career choice based on R and Q charges seems shortsighted to me. 

 

[MikeL]

Thanks for the replies!

Yes, I have researched the pay scales.  I was hoping someone could give more of an estimate of the net amount a typical married Private(1) takes home after taxes, benefits, pension... and rations now I guess during training postings in 2013.  I had it worked out for 2012, but the situation is different now.  Local CFRC wasn't terribly helpful on this point today, which is fine, they're not HR.

Great reference, thank you.  Now I'm just scaling it up to the current rate of pay - cost of rations = boned.

I think someone posted the net income for a Pte in another thread, I'll see if I can find it. But from what I remember it wasn't too much.

From 2011
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/101006.0

I've been calling BMQ-Land "Soldier Qualification" the whole time I've been dealing with the CFRC and nobody has corrected me, haha.  Of course a quick search confirms you are correct.  The Met Tech info still shows "SQ", occupational training at CFS Met and the video indicates there is OJT in Gagetown.  I will be sure to get clarification on current the current training process, thanks for pointing out how out of date my information is.

Yea, I believe they are still in the process of slowly updating all the trade information pages with the new course name, etc.  Ah, you are going Met Tech, I misread your post and thought you were going Med Tech.  Makes more sense now. 

I'm sure I'll be the millionth one to gripe about this but I feel the cost of Rations is unreasonable, to say the least.  I don't spend $500 a month to feed my entire family (pets included!).  In my case it may be what makes or breaks this job offer.  May have to consider reapplying to trades with occupational training here in Kingston and hoping for the best.

Not the first, nor will you be the last to not enjoy the high cost of Rations & Quarters.  Just be sure to budget properly,  another person on this forum had issues supporting his family while he was away on BMQ, etc and ended up releasing from the Canadian Forces due to it.

I know ACISS and Comm Research do their occupational training in Kingston, but IMO, I would not pick a trade just because of where the DP1 course is run out of.  You need to think long term with this.

BMQ-Land or SQ still exists for all trades that wear a Green DEU less Infantry......

Plus some RCN and RCAF pers who are in a "Purple Trade" such as MP and Med Tech.

I don't believe Army Musicians do BMQ-Land

 

[tenspeed]

From 2011
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/101006.0

Bingo! Thank you so, so much!

$33672 gross annual income = $2806/month, Private(1) x 12 months

-$5050.80 = 15% Federal Tax
-$1666.76 = 4.95% CPP
-$582.53 = 1.73% EI
-$3367.20 = 10% Pension Plan
-$1010.16 = 3% Death Benefit

$21994.55 = Net Annual Income

$1832.88 = Monthly Net Income (21994.55 / 12)

$1282.88 = Monthly Take Home Pay after Rations deducted (1832.88 - 550)

---

Sadly this number is much lower than I expected.  Can someone confirm the Pension Plan contribution amount?  I'm searching http://lois-laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-17/FullText.html with no luck.

I intend to stay with the CF for as long a career as they will have me for, but I may not get the chance to even start in my current situation unless I land a trade with training close to home, I'm wrong with my math or something else changes.  Just the reality of my reality.

---

[edit] Hold on, I think I got it: http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pensions/notices-avis/2012-12-14b-eng.asp

$33672 gross annual income = $2806/month, Private(1) x 12 months

-$5050.80 = 15% Federal Tax
-$1666.76 = 4.95% CPP
-$582.53 = 1.73% EI
-$2188.68 = 6.5% Pension Plan
-$1010.16 = 3% Death Benefit

$23173.07 = Net Annual Income

$1931.09 = Monthly Net Income (23173.07 / 12)

$1381.09 = Monthly Take Home Pay after Rations deducted (1931.09 - 550)

 

[Tralax]

great info, thanks

 

[stealthylizard]

The $550 is for max rations too.  They have different plans available, or at least they did in Edmonton (2011).  I have no idea if it has changed or what the costs were.  You could choose from:

3 meals/day for 7 days;
2 meals/day for 7 days;
3 meals/day for 5 days;
2 meals/day for 5 days.

Note:  This is when actually posted to your somewhat temporary-permanent base.

 

[kevincanada]

$550 a month and you get a a bed, electricity, hot water, meals cooked for you, a roof.  Where do you go wrong with that.  Where I live that will get you a cardboard box in a alley somewhere.  I thought wow, that's cheap when I saw for the first time myself  ;D


Edit: Although I do understand if you have to support a family.  Is it possible if your wife is not working to take a job until you hit higher income brackets?  Or see about moving your family on base after BMQ?

 

[JorgSlice]

$550 a month and you get a a bed, electricity, hot water, meals cooked for you, a roof.  Where do you go wrong with that.  Where I live that will get you a cardboard box in a alley somewhere.  I thought wow, that's cheap when I saw for the first time myself  ;D

AND you get a salary and some pretty decent benefits too!

 

[Cbbmtt]

I thought you didn't have to pay rations if you are married, common law or had shared co-habitation where both are supporting a child?

$550 a month and you get a a bed, electricity, hot water, meals cooked for you, a roof.  Where do you go wrong with that.  Where I live that will get you a cardboard box in a alley somewhere.  I thought wow, that's cheap when I saw for the first time myself  ;D


Edit: Although I do understand if you have to support a family.  Is it possible if your wife is not working to take a job until you hit higher income brackets?  Or see about moving your family on base after BMQ?

 

[421_434_226]

I thought that the pension contributions were now 6.85% on the first $51100 per year and 9.2% on anything above that, then again a private would only be concerned with the 6.85%, I believe the rates have changed due to moving to the new 50/50 contribution plan.
1 edit due to a damn international keyboard.

 

[JorgSlice]

I thought you didn't have to pay rations if you are married, common law or had shared co-habitation where both are supporting a child?

No, now even if you're married/dependents etc. You're still required to pay R&Q at least for BMQ as far as I know.

 

[PMedMoe]

No, now even if you're married/dependents etc. You're still required to pay R&Q at least for BMQ as far as I know.

IIRC, rations only for pers with dependents.

 

[JorgSlice]

IIRC, rations only for pers with dependents.

Ah, okay. Thank you.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I thought you didn't have to pay rations if you are married, common law or had shared co-habitation where both are supporting a child?

Paying rations is now dependent on your posting status/type. 

 

[tenspeed]

$550 a month and you get a a bed, electricity, hot water, meals cooked for you, a roof.  Where do you go wrong with that.  Where I live that will get you a cardboard box in a alley somewhere.  I thought wow, that's cheap when I saw for the first time myself  ;D


Edit: Although I do understand if you have to support a family.  Is it possible if your wife is not working to take a job until you hit higher income brackets?  Or see about moving your family on base after BMQ?

I agree, $550 rations + ~$120 for quarters is a hell of a deal if that's the only time you're paying for it each month.  I don't know how $550 / month for rations at CFLRS is broken down, but I can tell you for sure: it's not all for one person's food.  So other than food, whatever is driving up the cost of rations are duplicate expenses that families pay at their home for their families and now for themselves while on course.

However, this is the policy.  I'm grateful I was given disclosure and a chance to accept / not accept these charges.

My wife is committed to something else, she will not have much of an income.  Such is life.

I thought that the pension contributions were now 6.85% on the first $51100 per year and 9.2% on anything above that, then again a private would only be concerned with the 6.85%, I believe the rates have changed due to moving to the new 50/50 contribution plan.
1 edit due to a damn international keyboard.

You're correct, in my haste to accept / decline my offer I assumed that as a Private I wouldn't have to worry about Pension maximums and blah blah so I skipped that part.  Thank you for confirming that for me though.

I'll try to find some time later to put a bit more information into my calculations.  We all know how frustrating it is to search for information and come close, only to find that what you're looking at is missing some information that is irrelevant to the OP but critical for you, haha.

---

To provide some closure: I accepted.  The Bank of Mom and Dad stepped in and I'm off to BMQ on 2013/07/06.

Thank you again to everyone who contributed in this thread.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I agree, $550 rations + ~$120 for quarters is a hell of a deal if that's the only time you're paying for it each month.  I don't know how $550 / month for rations at CFLRS is broken down, but I can tell you for sure: it's not all for one person's food.  So other than food, whatever is driving up the cost of rations are duplicate expenses that families pay at their home for their families and now for themselves while on course.

However, this is the policy.  I'm grateful I was given disclosure and a chance to accept / not accept these charges.

The cost of rations isn't just "buying the groceries" itself.  IIRC, it also factors in the entire overhead to put that food out.  Like any food service place does.

Even at home...you pay rent/mortgage to have a kitchen, a fridge to store stuff, power to operate the fridge and stove, etc.

 

[tenspeed]

Conclusions from my research on payroll deductions during BMQ for a Private (1) in 2013.

	Single	Married / Common Law	Source
Gross Monthly Income	$2806.00	$2806.00	http://www.forces.ca/en/page/payscales-131
Federal Tax (15%)	-$420.90	-$420.90	http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/fq/txrts-eng.html
Canadian Pension Plan (4.95%)	-$138.90	-$138.90	http://www.tax-services.ca/category/cpp-ei-maximum-rates/
Employment Insurance (1.73%)	-$48.54	-$48.54	http://www.tax-services.ca/category/cpp-ei-maximum-rates/
Canadian Forces Pension Plan (6.85%)	-$192.21	-$192.21	http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pensions/notices-avis/2012-12-14b-eng.asp
Death Benefit	-$10.20	-$10.20	http://managers-gestionnaires.gc.ca/forum/forum-2012-pension-PWGSC-TPSGC-eng.php - for anyone interested: =(ROUNDUP(2806*24,-3) / 1000) * -0.15
Rations	-$544.00	-$544.00	http://www.cflrs.forces.gc.ca/menu/pd/14c-14t/index-eng.asp
Quarters	-$96.00	$0.00	http://www.cflrs.forces.gc.ca/menu/pd/14c-14t/index-eng.asp
Net Monthly Income	$1355.25	$1451.25

Will update when first pay stub is received. Updating this will probably a low priority once I start BMQ!  If anyone notices an error or ommision please take the time to correct me.

 

[ambernewton04]

Conclusions from my research on payroll deductions during BMQ for a Private (1) in 2013.

	Single	Married / Common Law	Source
Does anyone know if you can claim paying rations and quarters during taxes? Gross Monthly Income $2806.00 $2806.00 http://www.forces.ca/en/page/payscales-131 Federal Tax (15%) -$420.90 -$420.90 http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/fq/txrts-eng.html Canadian Pension Plan (4.95%) -$138.90 -$138.90 http://www.tax-services.ca/category/cpp-ei-maximum-rates/ Employment Insurance (1.73%) -$48.54 -$48.54 http://www.tax-services.ca/category/cpp-ei-maximum-rates/ Canadian Forces Pension Plan (6.85%) -$192.21 -$192.21 http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pensions/notices-avis/2012-12-14b-eng.asp Death Benefit -$10.20 -$10.20 http://managers-gestionnaires.gc.ca/forum/forum-2012-pension-PWGSC-TPSGC-eng.php - for anyone interested: =(ROUNDUP(2806*24,-3) / 1000) * -0.15 Rations -$544.00 -$544.00 http://www.cflrs.forces.gc.ca/menu/pd/14c-14t/index-eng.asp Quarters -$96.00 $0.00 http://www.cflrs.forces.gc.ca/menu/pd/14c-14t/index-eng.asp Net Monthly Income $1355.25 $1451.25 Will update when first pay stub is received. Updating this will probably a low priority once I start BMQ!  If anyone notices an error or ommision please take the time to correct me.

 

[ambernewton04]

Does anyone know if you can claim rations and quarters when you do your taxes? My husband went through last year so he didn't have to pay, but I will be going in 3 weeks and will now have to pay.