Claim for Subsistence for Niece While Occupying Temporary Quarters

A decision was requested concerning the reimbursement of additional temporary lodging expenses for a transferred Air Force employee who acquired custody of her niece incident to a permanent change of station. As the only applicable definition of a dependent at the time of travel did not include a niece; and as a subsequent change in the regulations to include dependent children under legal guardianship was not given retroactive effect, the claim was denied.