How and When Do I Pay for a Military Move?

Who handles payments when you’re moving in the military?

Moving in the military is a given, but it’s not always clear who pays for all of the expenses. Does the military help you move from one side of the country to the other or overseas? Will they pay for storage while you’re out of the country? Read on while Nilson Van answers your biggest questions.

What moving assistance is available from the military?

It’s important to meet with a few different departments before planning your move. Your rank, where you’re moving from (and to), and your family make-up can all impact the assistance available to you. Regulations are constantly changing too, so you may wind up losing or gaining benefits from the last time you changed bases. It’s essential to set up appointments with the Finance Office, the Relocation Office, and the Travel Office to get a comprehensive list of the allowances available to you.

Basic Military Moving Benefits

Like many employers, the military will help pay for your moving expenses for a move needed for work. Typically, you will hire a moving company that will pack and move your belongings, storing any that need to be stored either long-term or temporarily, as well as certain travel and lodging expenses.

In order to pay for these services in advance of your move, you can apply for an advance of up to 80 percent of your expected costs. If you spend more than your advance during your move, additional help is available through a number of organizations, including Army Emergency Relief, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, and the Air Force Aid Society.

You can file for an advance 2 – 3 weeks before your move. You will be asked to create a repayment plan at the time you file. Don’t worry. Once your move is complete, you simply file the receipts and paperwork to be reimbursed, and repay the loan out of those fees. However, it’s important to pay attention to how your repayment plan is established. You can often stretch them out as long as 12 months.

Personally Procured Move Program

If you’re familiar with military moves, you may have heard of DITY moves or Do-It-Yourself moves, where people received financial incentives to pack and haul their own property instead of hiring professionals. While these are still available, they’ve been renamed personally procured moves, or PPMs.

Upon receiving an estimated cost for professional moving, you may request an advance of up to 60 percent of this amount used for purchasing your supplies, renting moving equipment, gas, travel expenses and the like. Upon completion of your move, you receive 95 percent of your estimated cost.

By opting for a PPM, you miss out on the expertise a professional, experienced moving company can provide, as well as the practical value of having your items securely packed and stored. However, you may wind up with a little extra money as a result of putting your sweat equity to work.

If you’re worried about moving in the military, talk to the experts at Nilson Van and to get a free quote you can trust.