Furlough FAQs

Explanation / details

• Military pay runs on established cycles (end-of-month and mid-month for those entitled). If appropriations are enacted before a scheduled mid-month payday, DoW finance will process mid-month pay normally (for example, if funding is enacted before 15 Oct, mid-month pay due 15 Oct will be released on schedule). If appropriations are not enacted until after that mid-month cutoff, that mid-month pay will be delayed and not paid until the next scheduled processing run once funds are available (for example, end-of-month run on 31 Oct), at which point back pay for the missed mid-month pay will be issued. This is consistent with DoW/Service shutdown planning guidance and the Congressional Research Service analysis of prior lapses.

Advice for members

• Confirm your expected pay dates with your servicing finance office. If a mid-month payday is at risk, expect a single consolidated payment (backpay) after funding is enacted; keep pay stubs and direct deposit info current to avoid distribution problems.

Explanation / details

• Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA) policy and entitlements are defined in the JTR and in DoW travel policy (TLA eligibility, duration, and payment procedures). If a Service member began travel prior to the lapse and the travel orders authorized the move under a fiscal year and fund-site that covered FY25 (i.e., funds were available/obligated at the time orders were issued), then the member’s travel entitlements (TLA, per diem, etc.) are payable when the member submits a properly documented voucher to the appropriate finance office — even if the fiscal year lapses afterward, provided the travel was authorized and funded when the orders were issued. If travel/entitlements require new obligations after the lapse, payment may be restricted until appropriations are enacted. See JTR and DoW travel/TLA pages for eligibility rules and financing requirements. 

Actionable steps

• Keep a copy of your orders that show the FY25 fund cite/authority.

• Submit travel vouchers promptly to your servicing finance office with receipts and TLA documentation.

• If there’s a problem, escalate through your S1/Finance element and retain documentation proving travel began before the lapse.

Explanation / details

• DoW GTCC policy states the GTCC is the prescribed means to pay official travel expenses unless exempted. The JTR and DoW GTCC regulations explain that travelers should use the GTCC for lodging and other official travel costs; otherwise travelers may pay with a personal card, cash, or seek a finance-paid voucher/direct bill in exceptional circumstances. During a lapse, direct billing by a finance office may be constrained if new obligations cannot be incurred, so using a GTCC or personal method remains the common approach. If a member used a GTCC and pay is delayed, guard against delinquency by notifying your card program manager and the finance office — many banks (and DoW contingency guidance) have provided forbearance and contingency assistance in prior lapses.

Practical tips

• If you have a GTCC, use it and file your voucher promptly.

• If you must use a personal card, keep receipts and submit voucher.

• Contact your installation travel pay or GTCC program manager for guidance about billing and late payments during a lapse.

Explanation / details

• Service relief organizations (e.g., Army Emergency Relief, Navy/Marine Corps Relief Society, Air Force Aid Society, Coast Guard Mutual Assistance) regularly stand up rapid, low- or zero-interest loans and grants during funding lapses to bridge pay gaps. DoW and service public affairs and AER pages explicitly list contingency assistance (rapid zero-interest loans, grants, installation Quick Assist programs) available when pay is delayed. In addition, large military-facing financial institutions (USAA, Navy Federal, Pentagon Federal/CU) frequently announce temporary no-interest loans or special accommodations for affected members during shutdowns. Members should coordinate through their chain of command and installation relief society.

Where to go

• Contact your service relief society (AER, Navy/Marine relief, AF Aid Society, CGMA).

• Check service/public affairs and installation websites for local programs and quick assist procedures.

• Explore credit union/USAA contingency programs if you need short-term liquidity (verify eligibility and terms).

Explanation / details

• DoW and service shutdown/contingency messages have directed that PCS moves that had been initiated or funded prior to a lapse may continue; moves scheduled after the lapse are generally suspended unless the move is to an excepted command, organization, or activity or is specifically authorized as an excepted action. Service messages (e.g., Marine Corps, Navy) reiterate that PCS moves to excepted activities continue and that members should confirm their orders remain valid and that funding was obligated before the lapse. If a move is authorized to proceed as an excepted action, members will remain on orders and applicable entitlements will be payable when funding is available or as authorized by the finance authority. 

Member action

• Verify your orders’ fund cites and whether your move was funded/obligated before the lapse.

• Coordinate with your gaining and losing transportation office and your S1/finance to confirm shipment and entitlement status.

Explanation / details

• DoW contingency guidance states that travel and temporary duty (TAD/TDY) that would require new obligations are restricted during a lapse. Excepted travel that is essential to national security, safety of human life, or other excepted operations may continue if approved by the authorized excepting official (often the DoW component head or an originating 4-star command, per service guidance). All excepted TAD must be documented, and finance must have the legal authority to pay entitlements; otherwise payments are delayed until appropriations are enacted. The JTR and DoD Continuity/Contingency guidance set the policy framework.

Guidance for travelers

• Do not start non-excepted TAD/TDY that requires new funding obligations during a lapse.

• If you have an approved excepted TAD, ensure your orders document the exception and funding authority, and coordinate with finance before travel.