DD Form 1561

What this form is

Form 1561, Statement to Substantiate Payment of Family Separation Allowance (FSA). Fillable PDF on file from the 2026-04-29 forms archive snapshot. The form substantiates entitlement to FSA for Marines involuntarily separated from dependents for 30 or more continuous days. It covers all three FSA types. FSA-R for unaccompanied tours, FSA-S for ship-based duty, and FSA-T for TDY or TAD over 30 days.

Purpose printed on the form

To substantiate payment of Family Separation Allowance (FSA); provides an audit trail for validating propriety of payments and to assist in collecting erroneous payments; and provides a record in service member's pay account.

Quoted from the form's Privacy Act statement.

Who prepares, signs, and files

The member completes the form at deployment or assignment. The member identifies the dependent location, certifies the separation, and acknowledges the termination conditions. The S-1 or servicing PAC processes the entitlement through UD/MIPS and the reporting unit routes through DFAS Marine Corps Pay. The form is retained in the member's record.

When the form triggers and where it lives

DoD FMR Volume 7A Chapter 27 paragraph 2.1 requires the completed form before FSA pays. A fresh form supports each new qualifying separation, and the member submits an updated form whenever the situation changes. The MCAAT military pay checklist asks whether the DD Form 1561 is properly completed and filed in OMPF within 10 working days from the date reported on unit diary, citing DoD FMR Volume 7A Chapter 27, MCO 1070.1, and MARADMIN 015/20 MAA 1-20 paragraph 4.b.(1). A parallel item applies the same 10-working-day standard from the effective date. A missing form creates a documentation gap flagged during PAC audit.

Connection to Marine Corps policy

MARADMIN 150/26 set the FSA flat rate at 300 dollars per month effective 2025-12-18 under the FY 2026 NDAA, up from the prior 250 dollar rate, and names S-1 staff as the processors of DD Form 1561 substantiation and FSA starts and stops. MCTFS auto-updated eligible records to the new rate. The portal covers the entitlement on the Family Separation Allowance pages for Marines and admin.

Status and access

The external link opens the official form page. Verify the current edition against the DoD Forms Library before filing.