Claim for Temporary Quarters Subsistence Allowance

An agency official inquired as to whether a reclaim voucher is payable when it claims the cost of groceries for an employee's family and meal costs for himself only as temporary quarters subistence allowance incident to a transfer. The employee moved into temporary quarters at his new duty station, while his family stayed with his mother-in-law at the old duty station. Although the family residence had been vacated, it had not been sold, and the furniture remained in it. The family moved from the house because the care of a premature baby precluded maintaining the house in a presentable state for prospective purchasers. The employee stated that he was entitled to the cost of his meals during a visit to his family because a husband and father is expected to visit his family after a long absence. Regulations provide that entitlement to temporary quarters subsistence expenses requires that the permanent residence occupied at the time the transfer was authorized must be vacated. In this case, GAO believed that the old family residence was vacated even though the household goods were there and the family remained at the old duty station. It was necessary for the family to occupy temporary quarters since the care of the premature baby in it would have prevented its being properly maintained for showing to prospective buyers and would have probably delayed its sale. Accordingly, the cost of the groceries for the family was reimbursable. The cost of meals for the employee while he visited his family in these circumstances was an allowable expense. The reclaim voucher was authorized for payment.