Military personnel's pay: how to check the calculation of allowances

People usually come with a question about military personnel's pay after receiving a payslip: the amount for the month or for the period of service does not match what was expected, and the command gives no explanations. It also happens the other way round — a person has served for a long time but never understood what their payment consists of and which allowances they are entitled to at all.

From the article you will learn what military personnel's pay consists of, which allowances are provided for in Kazakhstan, where to get documents for reconciliation and in what procedure to seek recalculation. We will separately look at the allowances that most often fall out of the calculation, and the timeframes within which you can make your claims.

What a service member's pay consists of: salary and allowances

A service member's pay consists of two parts. The permanent part — the salary by military rank and the salary by military position, which form the base amount. The variable part — allowances, additional payments and coefficients applied to the salary in cases provided for by law. The status and pay of military personnel in Kazakhstan are regulated by the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Military Service and the Status of Military Personnel".

The salary by rank and position depends on the rank assigned and the position held. Allowances are established for special conditions of service, length of service, class qualification and in other cases expressly named in the legislation.

The calculation part is communicated to the service member in a payslip: for each line you can see what amount was accrued and on what basis. It is this document that allows you to check whether all the payments due have been taken into account.

• The salary by military rank is a fixed amount depending on the rank assigned.
• The salary by military position is a payment for the specific position held.
• Allowances for special conditions of military service.
• Allowances for work with state secrets, class qualification and length of service.
• Coefficients applied to the salary in cases provided for by law.
• Other payments expressly established by legislation on military service.

What allowances to the monetary allowance of servicemen exist in Kazakhstan

Each allowance has its own basis and its own supporting document, so they need to be checked separately.

The length-of-service allowance depends on the total period of military service and is set as a percentage of the salary. The class qualification allowance is assigned based on the results of assessments and is valid within the period for which the class is confirmed. The allowance for special conditions of service takes into account the nature and intensity of the tasks.

• for special conditions of service — confirmed by an order on the nature of the tasks;
• for class qualification — valid within the period for which the class is assigned;
• for length of service — depends on the total period of military service;
• for work with state secrets — basis: a duly issued clearance;
• for service in a remote area — according to the list of areas and the order on assignment.

The allowance applies only where a supporting document is available; a dispute over its non-application is considered under the Administrative Procedural and Processual Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

How to check whether a serviceman's pay has been calculated correctly: step-by-step procedure

The serviceman's pay slip is issued by the military unit at the place of service. It shows the salary by rank, the salary by position, allowances for special conditions, length of service and other payments. The slip is cross-checked against the orders on appointment to a position and conferral of a rank, since the salaries depend on them.

Move on to a clause-by-clause check: calculate each allowance separately, not against the overall total. Verification of allowances is based on comparing the ground for payment (order, report, supporting document) with its amount in the slip. If the ground arose in the current month, check from which date the allowance was accrued and whether any period has been lost. Check deductions and withholdings separately to rule out double deduction or deduction without a ground.

• Obtain the pay slip for the disputed period and keep a copy of it.
• Cross-check the salary by rank against the order conferring the rank.
• Cross-check the salary by position against the order of appointment and the staffing schedule.
• Check each allowance separately: the ground, the start date, the amount.
• Recalculate the total: salaries plus allowances minus deductions.
• If there is a discrepancy, submit a written report to the unit commander requesting an explanation of the calculation.

Where a serviceman obtains the documents for checking his pay

A serviceman obtains the documents for checking his pay at the place of service on the basis of a report through the chain of command addressed to the commander of the military unit. The report states what information is needed: the pay calculation for the period, the composition of allowances, deductions. The commander considers the request in the manner established by the general military regulations.

The calculation documents are prepared by the personnel body and the financial and economic service of the military unit. The personnel body confirms the position, military rank, length of service and periods of service on which the amount of allowances depends. The financial service produces the calculation and payment documents, which show how the pay was accrued and what was deducted from it.

• A report requesting the issue of a pay slip is submitted through the chain of command, stating the period and the required information.
• The personnel body confirms the position, rank, length of service and periods of service.
• The financial and economic service of the military unit issues the calculation documents on pay and deductions.
• The serviceman's personal account is used as a reference source if access to it is granted.
• A refusal to issue documents or inaction is challenged under the Administrative Procedural Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan: by a complaint to a superior body, and then to court.

Allowances that most often fall out of a serviceman's pay

The procedure for payments is set out in detail in departmental orders. Underpayment does not arise from a refusal to pay, but because individual grounds were not reflected in the order or in the calculation documents in time.

Typical grounds: class rating — the allowance for class qualification is set for a fixed term, and without an extension of the order the payment stops; restoration goes through reconciling the dates of the previous and the new order. Service in a remote area — the allowance depends on whether the area is classified as remote; on transfer or a change of deployment the allowances may not be accrued, because the personal file shows the new place of service while the calculation is made on the old parameters. Temporary performance of duties in a vacant position — must be reflected in the order and in the pay slip; errors are identified by comparing extracts from orders with the actual payments.

• The order confirming class qualification was not issued in time — the allowance stopped without grounds.
• Service in a remote area was not taken into account: the allowance is not reflected in the calculation.
• Temporary performance of duties in a vacant position was not reflected — the payment for it was not accrued.
• The allowance was established by an order, but is absent from the pay slip or is shown in a smaller amount.
• A change of place of service or position did not lead to a recalculation of the allowances due.
• The periods for which the allowance is due do not match by date in the order and in the calculation.

Practice in such disputes almost always comes down to documents: without pay slips, extracts from orders and a service record there is nothing to check the allowance against. So you should start not with a complaint, but with reconciling the payments month by month.

How to calculate the length-of-service allowance in a serviceman's pay

The length-of-service allowance forms part of a serviceman's pay and depends on the total number of years of service. The service period includes periods of military service and other periods that the legislation expressly counts, for example service in other troops and military formations of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Such periods are confirmed by archival certificates and extracts from orders.

The amount of the allowance increases as length of service grows. The basis is an order of the commander of the military unit, and in its absence — confirmation of length of service through the personal file and service record. If the entry in the personal file is incomplete, the period is not counted until it is restored.

• periods of service in established positions
• other periods expressly counted towards length of service by the legislation
• service in other troops and formations of the Republic of Kazakhstan according to archival certificates
• periods restored by a decision of the command or a court

Comparison of the grounds for the main allowances to a serviceman's pay

Allowances to a serviceman's pay in Kazakhstan are not limited to a single payment: the law distinguishes several types, each tied to its own circumstance. That is why the calculation is checked by type of allowance, and not by the total amount on the pay slip.

The grounds depend on the nature of the service: special conditions, work with state secrets, class qualification, length of service, service in a remote area. One ground is confirmed by different documents — an order on enrolment, a certificate, a security clearance certificate, an extract from the personal file.

• Check the type of allowance against the actual ground, not against the position as a whole.
• Check the date of the order: the right to the allowance arises from the moment specified in the order.
• Request a security clearance certificate or a qualification certificate if the ground relates to qualification or clearance for state secrets.
• Compare the entries in the personal file with the entries in the calculation documents.
• Record the discrepancy in writing, before applying for a recalculation.

The grounds and the supporting document are checked separately for each type; a mismatch between the order and the calculation is a matter for a written application.

Where to submit an application for recalculation of a serviceman's pay

The procedure for recalculating a serviceman's pay depends on who issued the payment order. If the order was issued by the commander of a military unit, the primary document is a report through the chain of command: the serviceman sets out the request for recalculation and attaches documents confirming the right to the allowance. The report is registered in the unit's records; the commander must consider it in the established procedure.

If the matter is not resolved through the chain of command, the application for recalculation is submitted to a superior military administration body. Where the payment was made under an order of a superior body, the application is sent there — the unit commander does not cancel such orders. The application states which allowance was not taken into account, for which period and on what grounds it is due.

What documents to collect if the recalculation of a serviceman's pay is disputed

The Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Military Service and the Status of Servicemen regulates pay and allowances, so a dispute over underpayment revolves around documents confirming the right to a supplement and its calculation. The basis for recalculation is written evidence of the periods of service, the position held, the conditions and the orders issued.

The documents are assembled for the disputed period: payslips, extracts from orders on appointment, transfer and supplements, the personal file and the service record. This makes it possible to compare the calculation with the orders and the unit's accounting documents.

If appeals to the command or to the authorised body are not satisfied, the appeals themselves and the replies are added: they confirm the date from which the claimant learned of the violation and the pre-trial procedure. The evidence is built on the link between the payslip, the order and the primary service documents — this is examined when the claim is challenged.

List:

• Payslips for each month of the disputed period.
• Extracts from orders on appointment, transfer, supplements and their cancellation.
• The serviceman's personal file and service record.
• Certificates on periods of service and the grounds for payments.
• Copies of appeals and the replies received.

Time limits: when recalculation of a serviceman's pay and allowances may be claimed

The time limit for applying for recalculation of pay and allowances runs not from the date of the order, but from the moment when the serviceman learned or should have learned of the violation of his right: receipt of the payslip, familiarisation with the payment order, the command's reply to the report.

The claim is made for the periods reflected in the documents: payslips, orders, statements, certificates of the financial service. If a payment is shown in a smaller amount than is due by law, the time limit for that episode is calculated separately. The dispute may concern a single payment or several months of service, so it is important to compare the date on which the right arose with the date of the actual calculation.

• Establish the date on which the violation became known: the date of receipt of the payslip, familiarisation with the order, or the reply to the report.
• Collect the documents for the disputed periods: payslips, extracts from orders, certificates of the financial service.
• Check each payment against the basis for its award in order to identify episodes with separate time limits.
• If the time limit has been missed, prepare evidence of valid reasons: medical documents, travel orders, correspondence with the command.
• File a report or complaint in the manner provided for by the Administrative Procedural Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, attaching the supporting documents.

What to do if recalculation of a serviceman's pay and allowances has not been made voluntarily

If the recalculation of pay and allowances has not been made and there is no reasoned refusal, or the refusal is unsatisfactory, the dispute moves to formal challenge. The refusal is checked for compliance with the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Military Service and the Status of Servicemen and departmental acts.

First, in the pre-trial procedure under the Administrative Procedural Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a complaint is filed with a superior military command body or with the authorised body through the commander whose actions are being challenged. The violated right is stated, and the payslip, card account statements, the report and the reply of the lower body are attached. The superior body considers the appeal within the time limit set by the legislation on administrative procedures and gives a reasoned reply.

• File a report (complaint) with the commander of the superior military command body, attaching the calculation documents.
• Obtain a written reply and compare it with the provisions of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Military Service and the Status of Servicemen.
• Apply to the prosecutor's office with a request to verify the lawfulness of the officials' actions in calculating pay and allowances.
• After the complaint has been considered, prepare a claim to the court under the Administrative Procedural Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan to challenge the actions (inaction) and to compel the recalculation.
• Collect the evidence: the report with a registration mark, the replies of the bodies, payslips, account statements.
• Meet the deadline for filing a claim in a public-law dispute, otherwise the claim may be refused on a formal ground.