FAQs
The PCA is a gratuitous payment statute enacted by Congress to partially compensate a member for personal property that is lost, damaged, or destroyed incident to service. It is not insurance, nor is it a substitute for insurance; its coverage is limited only to personal property, such as goods and clothing; and reimbursement is limited to the loss or irreparable damage incurred. Intangible property and consequential and incidental damages are not considered personal property and are not payable under the statute. Inconvenience claims are also not payable under the statute.
INSURANCE:
The PCA is a gratuitous claims provision that was not intended to be a substitute for private insurance. So, if a service member has private insurance, the service member must file with the insurance company first. The requirement regarding insurance is set forth in federal regulation, and is the same across all services, to ensure federal funds are being used appropriately.
This requirement can be met in 3 ways:
- Statement that the service member does not have homeowner’s or renter’s insurance. Nothing further required.
- If the service member had insurance, provide information regarding the insurance deductible. If the value of the claim does not exceed the deductible; no insurance claim is needed. All that would be necessary is a copy of policy stating the deductible or note from the insurance company with deductible limits.
- File an insurance claim and the claim was denied, and provide a copy of the denial
Yes. Provide the response from your insurance company with amount paid and deductible, and you can claim that amount and it will be considered during the final adjudication of your claim *(Provided the claim is approved)
No. Whether your insurance company pays or denies a claim depends upon the loss, your ability to prove the loss, the company, and your particular policy.
CLAIMS ISSUES:
No. The payment you receive would be compensation for a loss and not taxed.
Yes. The costs incurred to obtain replacement official documents (raised seal documents) are recoverable.
Receipts, online statements showing purchase date and cost and even personal pictures showing the items.
You can group similar items, for example, you can list on one line 10 T-Shirts @ $10 per (total $100).
Create an inventory of your items and submit a letter from your CO that you were assigned berthing area X, bunk Y, and locker Z, which were all destroyed in the fire on March 12, 2026.
If you have any questions, you may contact the PCU Claims Help Line from 0700-1630 EST at (757) 440-6315 or DSN 564-3310 or you may send an email to norfolkclaims@us.navy.mil.