Travel allowances for federal employees will stay much the same in the 2021 fiscal year as they were in the 2020 fiscal year, according to per diem rates released by the General Services Administration Aug. 14.
The standard continental U.S. lodging rate will remain at $96, and the meal and incidental tiers will still be $55-$76.
“Based on local market costs of mid-priced hotels, lodging per diem rates provide caps, or maximum amounts, that can be reimbursed to federal employees for lodging and meals while on official travel. As an additional savings measure, GSA’s lodging per diem rate methodology includes taking five percent off of the final average daily rate in each location,” the GSA news release states.
The unchanged rates come after small increases in the lodging caps in FY19 and FY20, though the meal and incidental expenses rates have remained at $55 since FY19.
According to the GSA release, 319 locations, such as Washington, D.C., have maximum lodging allowances higher than the standard, due to the increased average costs in those areas.
More detailed explanations of the per diem rates for specific locations is available via the GSA per diem tool.
Jessie Bur covers federal IT and management.
