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Allowances - Post Living Differential (PLD) [MERGED]

I saw that CANFORGEN at work last week and knew it would raise eyebrows for those unawares. I meant to post it after getting home that day and forgot-apologies!
 
I just received my pay statement today, and there was a pay note on it saying that PLD would be done separate from pay now. I wonder if this means that members will get that anonomous deposit in their bank accounts that has a very non descriptive remark. It took me a week to track down that a deposit for 300ish dollars was from when the ONT government sent everyone money to offset the rising hydro bill.
 
So why do I still have 74.50 added to my gross pay in "taxable allowances?"

Shouldn't it be 0 if the PLD is going to seperate from pay?
 
From what I gather, they will put half of the PLD every two weeks on your pay, deduct taxes, then take the net amount out of your pay and give it to you as a seperate payment, that is why you see a deduction on your pay.
 
Could someone post this CANFORGEN?  Some (me  ;D) don't have regular access to the DWAN.

Also, anyone have an update on how the different PLD rates have changed?  I'm trying to figure out this whole acquittance roll-thing for Edmonton.
 
The CCPS was likely not updated in time for the Apr pay run, so it stayed on. Once again though, if this is a taxable allowance, that they are going to deal separately from pay, are they going to issue separate T4s next year, or will this go in a different box than 14 on the same T4.

And how will they let members know the amount they are supposed to be receiving, if not on a pay statement. Members need to be notified so that if there is an error, they can bring it to the powers that be, instead of finding out 4 years later that they owe thousands of dollars.
 
CaptLoadie, it just said it would be done in a seperate payment but I think they will be keeping it on the pay statement hence the acquittance roll so you can see how much you are getting for those two weeks and it makes it easier come tax time.

The acquittance roll is just the net amount PLD you will be getting for the two weeks.
 
Here is the CANFORGEN

DISBURSEMENT OF PLD/TPLD
UNCLASSIFIED


REFS: A. CBI 205.45 (POST LIVING DIFFERENTIAL) (PLD)
B. CBI 205.452 (TRANSITIONAL POST LIVING DIFFERENTIAL) (TPLD)



THE PURPOSE OF THIS MESSAGE IS TO ADVISE MEMBERS OF THE REGULAR AND RESERVE FORCES OF CHANGES TO THE METHOD OF PLD AND TPLD DISBURSEMENT


PLD/TPLD ARE COMPENSATIONS SEPARATE FROM PAY AND INTENDED ONLY AS A CUSHION AGAINST EXPENSES INCURRED THROUGH LIVING IN A HIGH COST OF LIVING AREA. RATES ARE BASED ON ACTUAL YEAR-TO-YEAR FLUCTUATIONS IN THE COST OF LIVING WITHIN THE VARIOUS CF DUTY LOCATIONS AND ARE SUBJECT TO ANNUAL REVISIONS. CONSEQUENTLY, MEMBERS SHOULD NOT INCLUDE PLD/TPLD AS INCOME WHEN MAKING FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS


EFFECTIVE 1 APR 11, PLD/TPLD WILL NO LONGER BE DISBURSED WITH PAY. PLD/TPLD WILL BE DISBURSED AS A SEPERATE PAYMENT ON A BI-MONTHLY BASIS INTO EACH QUALIFYING MEMBER S BANK ACCOUNT


CURRENT PLD AND TPLD RATES CAN BE FOUND ON THE DGCB WEBSITE UNDER DCBA AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: HTTP://HR3.OTTAWA-HULL.MIL.CA/DGCB/DCBA/ENGRAPH/HOME E.ASP


SIGNED BY RADM A. SMITH, CMP
 
 
...I did a search, so sorry if it's been posted already, but I just got my pay statement and noticed that PLD is not taxed anymore.  Plus is it supposed to be deposited separately??
  Anyone know more about this?
Cheers
Steve-o
 
Steve-O- said:
...I did a search, so sorry if it's been posted already, but I just got my pay statement and noticed that PLD is not taxed anymore.  Plus is it supposed to be deposited separately??
  Anyone know more about this?
Cheers
Steve-o

Mine is still showing in the Taxable Allowances block.  Someone started a thread here about the same thing.
 
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jRpfjk7o3WaRpJfaP1kT83HF14bA?docId=6670335


Soldier fear loss of cost-of-living allowance following policy revisions

By Murray Brewster, The Canadian Press – 1 hour ago

OTTAWA — National Defence has changed a cost-of-living allowance for tens of thousands of soldiers, sailors and aircrew, prompting fears the deficit-slashing Harper government intends to eliminate it altogether.

A spokesman for the department's senior policy section denies the benefit will be scrapped and maintains changes to the Post Living Differential Allowance are simply administrative.

But the $150-million-a-year expenditure is a fat target for Defence, which was to restrain costs by $500 million this year and $1 billion in each of the following two years under the latest federal budget.

The benefit used to be included with military paycheques in high-cost cities, but it has been deposited separately since April 1.

Senior non-commissioned officers at several bases have warned the rank and file that is the first step toward possible elimination of the assistance altogether, defence sources told The Canadian Press.

"Learn to live without it because it'll be gone within a year," some sailors were told last week at Canadian Forces Base Halifax.

Their impression was further reinforced by an internal memo reminding those in uniform that the stipend, set based on region and the economy, was meant only as a cushion against high cost.

"Consequently members should not include PLD as income when making financial commitments," said the leaked April 20, 2011, email announcing the changes.

But Cmdr. Huebert Genest, a military spokesman, denied there is a plan to eliminate the allowance, introduced by the Chretien government in April 2000 after a series of stories about poorly paid soldiers relying on food banks.

Despite the denial, the military network has been abuzz with chatter about the differential and whether the Conservatives are prepared to sacrifice it in the quest bring down the country's $40.5-billion deficit.

Liberal Senator Colin Kenny said it's incumbent on the government to pledge not to tinker with the stipend.

A defence analyst, retired major-general Lewis MacKenzie, said the government would be "crazy" to tamper with it, especially when it's seeking re-election and has staked so much political capital on supporting the troops.

The benefit is "chump change" compared to some of the high-cost equipment acquisitions, MacKenzie said.

"It's beyond stupid to start fooling around with that from the point of view of saving money. I don't have any problem with changing the administrative protocol, the way it's calculated."

MacKenzie said the timing of the change couldn't be worse, given the election and the high deficit.

Kenny said suspicion is further heightened by the recent bungling of a series of benefits and perks, which the department had to suspend because it hadn't sought the proper Treasury Board authority.

Some of those ten of millions of dollars in benefits, including travel-fee reimbursements for troops deployed to different parts of Canada and bonuses for overseas postings, have yet to reinstated.

"The hoops Treasury Board has been putting forward seem to be unusually high and unreasonable," Kenny said. "The government always talks about what it's budgeted to spend on the military. But they never talk about or look at how much they actually spend."

Copyright © 2011 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



 
"Don't budget based on PLD" is old news, and has been told to troops since PLD was introduced.  The decision to treat PLD and pay as seperate payments is intended to reinforce that message - you see both pay and PLD instead of only one amount, and you remember "That's right, if I'm posted the PLD amount will change."

The Canadian Press article is fearmongering and rumourmongering on a large scale.


 
dapaterson said:
The Canadian Press article is fearmongering and rumourmongering on a large scale.


...........and even the most isolated hermit should not be suprised that the MSM, trying to manufacture news instead of reporting it, is playing this up during an election.

Of course if it was a liebral or dipper initiative, it would be reported as all well and good and an absolute stroke of genius. ;)
 
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/somnia/article1999217/

I understand that PLD is not to be relied on when trying to get a house/condo, but there will be quite a few people in a world of financial hurt if this actually goes through.
 
From the article cited:
[Retired Major-General Lewis MacKenzie, said..] “It's beyond stupid to start fooling around with that from the point of view of saving money....given the election and the high deficit.
Exactly.

Do you believe the government is completely incompetent, especially regarding perceptions during an election campaign, or is this yet another example of muckraking media spin?

That being said, we've been told since Day 1 that PLD isn't guaranteed income.

I just find it interesting that when the overwhelming number of media stories are reporting Liberal 'losses' to Quebec NDP, there's suddenly an unsubstantiated story of 'Conservatives decide to screw over hapless CF members.'
::)



ps - sorry canada94, that this post may also fail to meet your desire for non-Conservative posts by CF members. Many of us who have been in the CF for more than 20 minutes recall which parties have done us the most damage.
 
Its true we were told here in Halifax that PLD would cease in a year, some were also told SDA would cease or change on 1 April 2011 but that didn't happen yet either. I doubt it will be done away with but if it does we will carry on.

When you do anything financial where you need to bring a stub to prove income (i.e. mortgage, car loan, etc) never include your PLD, LDA/SDA/ACA. I stress this to everyone of my new OS/Ptes. They get very starry eyed when see that first pay cheque with SDA and PLD.

In Halifax imagine the person who is getting 800$ SDA + 354 PLD suddenly loosing that! It wont be so bad for those of us who have planed around it, but for others who have built them into their finances, as net income, they will be hurting units!
 
Halifax Tar,
I think that your numbers on the PLD and SDA that you have written in your post are wrong.  New sailors that come in get 297 a month for SDA and PLD is 631 a month.  I have not seen any emails or messages saying the rate is going down and one of my MCpl's has a close friend who is a clerk at CSOR in Stad that has told him they have been told our PLD is not changing
 
foxhound031 said:
Halifax Tar,
I think that your numbers on the PLD and SDA that you have written in your post are wrong.  New sailors that come in get 297 a month for SDA and PLD is 631 a month.  I have not seen any emails or messages saying the rate is going down and one of my MCpl's has a close friend who is a clerk at CSOR in Stad that has told him they have been told our PLD is not changing

Hey foxhound,

My numbers are a snap shot of a section of the naval populace I would be most concerned about. I will tell you my pay statement for mid and end Apr lists my PLD at 177 per pay which equals 354. The 800 SDA would account for members with a higher rate vice the new members. I would be more concerned about pers with high rates of SDA that have been collecting it for years than the new OS-LS who is still at the basic rate. The pers with the higher rates of SDA, I would reckon, would be most likely to have built that and the PLD into their net income erroneously.

I would say the discrepancy with your and my PLD rates would be taxes.

My fault I should have defined it more clearly, but I hope this helps.

 
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