How does bah work?

SPC (Join to see) You can not draw BAH until you have cleared on post housing. They give you documentation that says you are eligible for BAH. BAH doesn't pay deposits/first/last. Couple options: take the money from savings, request an advanced pay from finance and spread the recoupment over 12 months, and see if your post and local community participate in a deposit waiver program for rentals and utilities (example FT Irwin had one).

Your BaH doesn't start until you do a DA5960 BAH Verfication, Start, Stop form through S1 to finance. If you cleared housing by the 15th it's too late to do anything with finance for that month. You Have to get pay docs in by the 10th....to finance, not just S1. S1 usually take documents in batches to Finance. If your S1 is on the stick, they have a SF200 where they make Finance sign for documents. Youll need to provide a copy of your lease for the supporting documentation to get BAH started.

This is normally the part I would say trust the system because it works. I don't trust Finance any further than I can throw them. Long story. Make duplicate copies of all your documents. Never give up an original. Watch your LES for the changes like a hawk.have witnesses. Take your squad leader or another NCO to S1 or finance. Record who you talked to and when. Involve your chain of command early and often.

You say your NCOs don't know about any if this. Straight up horseshit. If they draw BAH, they know something about it. I bet your PSG or 1SG do. Write a one page checklist on how to start BAH when you are done and hand it to whoever shrugged when you brought it up. If you gave your first line a shot and got no help, go to their rater or your PSG.

Did you ensure that your future leased property is not on the off limits list? Certain predatory land lords or properties with lots of crime are off limits and you may not get BAH if you sign a lease nor have any support from the installation. Check with the post housing office for a referral.

On post housing stops taking your BAH when you move out. Just like any other housing situation it is on you to save some money to put your security deposit down. You can expect to face the se scenario every time you move. You have to put down a security deposit prior to moving in and your previous residence won't release your security deposit until about a month after you move out.

I suggest you start saving some cash --cause you are not going to be getting any BAH until probably March 1st or so. So you are going to need deposit, first and possibly second month's rent, as well as all the money to turn on all your utilities.