For TDY travel, which allowances are typically provided?

• A. Housing allowance only
• B. No allowances
• C. Per diem and mileage allowances
• D. Only meals

Answer: (C)

When you’re on TDY, the typical financial support covers subsistence through a per diem and travel costs for using your own vehicle through a mileage allowance. The per diem is a fixed daily amount intended to cover lodging, meals, and incidental expenses while you’re away from your official duty station. Rates vary by location and can be adjusted if some costs are provided by the agency (like lodging or meals) through another arrangement, but the goal is to standardize how much you can spend subsisting on the road. The mileage allowance reimburses the use of a privately owned vehicle for official travel, using a set rate per mile to cover fuel, maintenance, depreciation, and insurance. Together, these two types of payments address the common costs of short-term travel. Housing allowances are for longer-term assignments, not typical TDY; no allowances would leave travel costs unpaid; and providing only meals would miss lodging and incidental expenses, which the per diem covers.