Preparing Your Claim
Having all the information before starting your claim in the Defense Personal Property System (DPS) will make it much easier to get all your items listed. You will need to know the manufacturer, inventory number, description of item and how it was damaged, cost for repair or replacement, and evidence such as pictures, video, and appraisal paperwork.
Having all that information will make it easier to get your claim submitted. You should know: If you receive payment on a quick claim item that is $500 or less, which is usually paid on an essential item such as a mattress or bed, you cannot claim that item again on your regular claim. When they send you a check for that quick claim item, you can go ahead and cash it to replace the essential item and continue with the rest of the claim. Another thing to know is that TSP claims offices do not always receive notification of a claim that was made, or if a counter offer was made.
Anytime you do something in DPS, from submitting your claim, countering or accepting the offer, send a courtesy email or phone call to your move coordinator or claims adjuster to let them know. Doing this will ensure your claim gets settled in a timely manner.
There are times when no matter how hard you try you just can’t get anyone to respond to you. In this case, you do have a few steps that you can take to get some resolution.
If they are past the 60-day time frame, try sending one more email and noting that they are out of regulations as outlined in the Defense Travel Regulation (DTR) Part IV, Attachment K-1 – It’s Your Move. Due to any number of reasons, they may not realize that it has gone past 60 days. Letting them know this can help get it settled as they don’t want to be penalized for it going past 60 days.
Next, go up the chain of command of the claims department and TSP. Sometimes bringing the issues to the attention of a supervisor can help the process move along.
Get the Military Claims Office (MCO) involved. Many times, the MCO can make a call on your behalf to get answers to your claim before you transfer your claim to them to handle it all. Finally, if all else fails in getting any kind of resolution to your claim, you can always write your state representatives to let them know the issues you are facing
