# 2020-050 Pay and Benefits, Travel Expenses

Case Summary

F&R Date: 2021–02–09

The grievor argued that he should be entitled to Family Reunion Travel Allowance (FRTA) with respect to his son. He further argued that his son's selection of employment is not relevant to his FRTA entitlement nor is there a means test or requirement for disclosure of financial information in the application for FRTA.

The Initial Authority (IA) denied the grievor redress asserting that as the grievor's son was a full-time employee of the Canadian Armed Forces and was not financially reliant on the grievor for basic needs, that he did not meet the Treasury Board approved criteria to be deemed a child for the purposes of Foreign Service Directive (FSD) 51.

The Committee found that the grievor was eligible to claim the FRTA benefit in respect of his dependent son as all relevant criteria set out in FSD 51 had been met. The Committee noted that the Children's Education Management had introduced a disqualifying criterion that was not supported by applicable policy. As such, it was determined that the grievor's application for the FRTA was not administered in accordance with policy.

FA Decision Summary

The Director Canadian Forces Grievance Authority, acting as Final Authority (FA), agreed with the Committee's finding that Children’s Education Management had introduced service in a sub-component of the CAF as a disqualifying criterion that was not supported in the policy and that there was no means test for the dependent's income as suggested by the IA. She agreed with the Committee's recommendation and directed that the grievor be reimbursed for his FRTA expenses.