DODI 1341.15 - Basic Needs Allowance

Scope

DODI 1341.15 establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and prescribes procedures for the Basic Needs Allowance (BNA). BNA is a supplemental allowance authorized by Section 402b of Title 37, United States Code. The instruction governs eligibility determination, application, payment, and program administration across the Military Services.

Audience

S-1 and IPAC personnel processing BNA applications. Commanders certifying eligibility. Marines applying for BNA based on gross household income against the federal poverty guideline threshold. Disbursing offices paying the supplemental allowance.

Key policy points

• BNA is supplemental to a member's basic pay and other allowances.
• Eligibility ties to gross household income relative to a multiple of the federal poverty guideline (set by statute).
• Application happens at the member's request. The Service certifies eligibility, calculates the amount, and pays through the member's regular pay system.
• The amount adjusts as income changes. Members maintain accurate household-composition data for the calculation.

Responsibilities

• Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (ASD(M&RA)). Oversees policy.
• Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) and DoD Chief Financial Officer. Oversees payment.
• Secretaries of the Military Departments and Commandant of the USCG. Implement at the Service level.

Connection to higher policy

• 37 U.S.C. 402b. The statutory authority for BNA. The instruction implements Section 402b of Title 37, United States Code.
• DoD Directive 5124.02. The instruction operates under its authority. Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness publishes the instruction.

Connection to Marine Corps doctrine and lower policy

• MCTFSPRIUM 8-81201. The Marine Corps MCTFS reporting procedure for BNA under TTC 694 and 693. The PRIUM entry states eligibility below 200 percent of Federal Poverty Guidelines for the permanent duty station, with OCONUS units outside Hawaii and Alaska using lower-48 FPGs, and routes the commander-approved BNA package to the servicing DO or FO via DTMS on NAVMC 11116, with BNA documents in the MOL MyEPAR module.
• MARADMIN 369/25. The current Marine Corps implementation of this instruction's Change 3, effective 2025-05-12 at the 200 percent threshold. It cancelled MARADMIN 673/22, the December 2022 implementation, and MARADMIN 345/23, the 150 percent Change 1. Portal BNA pages and the MCAAT military pay checklist cite 369/25.

Status

Active. Approved by Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr., Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, on 2022-11-15. The current change is Change 3, approved by Steve Feinberg, Deputy Secretary of Defense, effective 2025-05-12.