What's wrong with my paycheck?

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Todd Wivell
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  It is May 14 and Senior Airman Joe Snuffy approaches the customer service counter at the 28th Comptroller Squadron finance office. Airman Snuffy wants to change an insurance allotment and wants it to take affect on his May 15 paycheck. The finance technician relays they can help him but it will not update until his June 1 paycheck. The technician explains this is due to the fact that finance is past its "cut-off date". Airman Snuffy, as most Air Force members would not, doesn't understand "cut-off date." The technician explains it and processes his paperwork. 

"Many people have been to the finance office to see why their paycheck is not what they expected it to be," said Senior Airman Benjamin Sanner, 28th Comptroller Squadron customer service technician. "The majority of those people were told the critical piece of paperwork to affect the change did not make it in by 'cut-off.'" 

"Most servicemembers are paid twice a month, usually on the 1st and 15th of the month, finance refers to these as end-of-month and mid-month pay, respectively. "There has to be time prior to each payday for the paycheck to be calculated and the payment sent out," said Airman Sanner. "That time for calculation starts with the 'cut-off date', which varies from one paycheck to the next, but is roughly in the window of five to seven days prior to payday." 

Calculations are not done at base level and are computed by Defense Finance and Accounting Service located in Denver, CO, said Airman Sanner. 

"The transactions are still input by your local finance office, but are then sent electronically up to the DFAS level for processing." 

Keeping that in mind, the local finance office has to have time to input these transactions, send them to DFAS and fix any potential rejects that may pop up. 

"Rejects are transactions the pay system did not accept due to errors with conflicting dates, conflicting entitlements, duplicate transactions or various other reasons," said Airman Sanner. 

Most rejects are correctable without the servicemember having to come back into the finance office. If caught within time, the reject will be corrected and the transaction will take effect on the appropriate payday as discussed with the technician. 

It's important servicemembers know and understand how this process works as it is likely to happen at least once during their Air Force career. 

"If someone needs to find out what their deadline is for paperwork affecting their next paycheck, call the finance office 385-1490 and ask for the 'cut-off date,'" said Airman Sanner.