DECISION OF THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-05844A000100070093-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 12, 2001
• Sequence Number: 93
• Publication Date: March 10, 1948
• Content Type: REPORT

OGC Has Reviewed
Approved For Release 2002/03/28: CIA-RDP78-05844A000100070093-2
UNCLASSIFIED
DECISION OF THE CONTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES
B-72680
(UNPUBLISHED)
March .10, 19+8
Increased allowances for employees at classified posts, 75
A
depen ants are living with hint at the post.
COMPTROLLER GENERAL WARREN TO THE DIRFC R OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
Reference is made to your letter of January 7, 191+8, as follows:
"It has come to my attention that there is some doubt iathe
minds.of this Agency's Finance officials and Authorized Certifying
Officers with respect to the proper amounts of quarters and cost of
living allowances to be paid at classified posts under the provisions
of Bureau of the Budget Circular No. A-8,'Revised. The question
currently involved relates specifically to payments which should be
made to married employees.
"It has been our understanding that the increased allowances at
classified posts are payable to married employees (regardless of
whether or not the wife resides at the post) or unmarried employees
with families at their foreign posts, with only the basic allowances
payable to single employees without. families at the posts, Accordingly,
a married employee has automatically been granted the increased allow-
ances for both Quarters and Cost of Living without taking into con-
sideration whether or not his wife lives with him at the post. Of
course, an employee who is not responsible for the support of a wife,
because of . death, divorce., or other appropriate reasons, has been paid
only the basic allowances unless members of his family were present.
.It has now been brought to our attention that it may be proper to pay
married employees the increased allowances o if their wives or mem-
bers of their families are living with them.
"To support the interpretation heretofore followed by this office
attention is invited to Appendix II, Circular No. A-8, Revised, which
sets forth the quarters allowances payable under the various Post
classifications. The increased allowances authorized by this appendix
are payable to employees who are 'married, or unmarried with family',
and the basic allowances are payable to employees who are 'single,
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Page 2 Decision of the Comptroller General No. B-72680
without family'.. Circular No. A-8. Revised, stipulates that 'family'
means the mother, father, children, stepchildren or sister of a married
or unmarried. employee living with the employee at the foreign post.
It is of primary importatce-to note that the definition omits any
mention of a wife. It is also to be noted that the cost of Living
Allowance schedules provide for allowances for, personnel 'With
Dependents' and 'Without Dependents'., Further, Standard Form 1069-
Rev., Voucher for Allowances at Foreign.Poats.of Duty, which has
been prescribed for use in the payment of quarters and cost of
living allowances, is so devised that a married employee who does not
have his wife living with him athis-`fore'ign pcat.would have to add
a statement to thateffect on the face of the form before it could
be properly certified and presented for payment. The following certifi-
cations appear on the face of the form and are to be checked by the
employee when he executes his claim:, `I am married, or unmarried,
and have living with me at the-above-mentioned post or station,
children, stepchildren, mother, father or sister' and 'I am unmarried
and have no children, stepchildren, mother:,.father or sister living
with me at the above-mentioned post or station'* It appears that
if a married employee'is not entitled to the increased allowance,
because hi"s wife does not live with him,. neither'of the quoted certi-
fications will provide the necessary information. The pertinent
instructions seem to indicate that a married man who; does not have
his wife residing with him is entitled to. the increased allowances.
"It is assumed that a de endent?husband.would take the same
status for allowance purposes as a wife,. Your decision of April 3,
1947 (B-63474) to Mr. W. H.-Rohrman, Authorized Certifying Officer,
Department of Agriculture, has been noted.
"It will be appreciated if you 11ll;render a decision in this
matter at the earliest possible date. If-you should rule that a.
married employee must have his wife.. at. his foreign post of duty in
order to be entitled to the increased allowances (in the absence of
other members of his family) this Office '41]. immediately alter its
payment procedure in those .few cases' 'affected. In! the event of. such
,;a ruling, it is requested that because of the terminology contained
in Bureau of the Budget Circular Nob.A-8,,Revisea, this Agency be
relieved of the responsibility of collecting payments which may not
have been made in accordance"with your conclusion.'.'
The referred-to Bureau of the Budget circular No. A-8 defines
the word "family" as meaning the mother, father, children,, stepchildren
or-sister of an e m p l o y e e "livingwith.the e m p l o y e e at the foreign
UNCLASSIFIED
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Page 3 - Decision of the Comptroller General No. B-72680
post," and specifically states (see paragraphs 4 and 13 therein) that
the quarters and cost of living.allowances prescribed in appendices II
and III thereof are based upon the "family status" of an employee, as
defined above. It has been informally ascertained from the Bureau of
the Budget that the word "wife" was inadvertently omitted from the
definition of "family" in,said circular and that the increased allow-
ancesfor a "married".employee in appendix II and for an. employee
"with dependents" in appendix III were established for an employee who
had a wife, mother, father, children, stepchildren, or sister living with
him at his foreign post of duty.
Since it appears that the quarters allowances are authorized to
be paid in order to compensate an employee for expenses incurred by
him for quarters at his -foreign post of duty because of the fact that
he is not provided free rents heat, fuel., and light in Government-
owned or rented buildings, and that the cost of living allowance is
payable in order to equalize the difference between costs at the
foreign post and Washington, D, C,, of subsistence, services.,
commodities, and other living expenses,, except quarters (including
heat, fuel, and light), the increased allowances for a married employee
may be regarded as payable to such an employee only if his wife or
other dependents be living with him at his foreign post of duty. See
27 Comp. Gen. 124, and 26 Comp, Gen. 731.
As the meaning of the regulation appears confusing by reason of
the fact that the word "wife" was omitted from the definition of
"family" in the circular, you are advised that no question w.ll be
raised in the audit with respect to payments heretofore made upon the
basis of your office's prior interpretation of said regulation,
UNCLASSIPIED
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