OK
Time to wade in.
All members of the Reg and Res Force must now have a DWAN account. They must have access to Outlook on the DIN, as soon as possible after they are 'enlisted'.
For you who have not yet been introduced to CLAIMS - X.......wait for it.
All members of the CF are now expected to do their own claims by using ClaimsX. Prior to departure the member is responsible to fill out their itinerary, accommodations and rations, advances, etc. They will then submit their 'draft' claim (Claim in progress) electronically to their authorizing authority (Usually their Unit Fin Clerk) and then PRINT it. This printout is taken to the OR for an authorizing signature and then is used as the "Route Letter". On their return, the member will call up their claim in progress and complete it. They will once again print it, and attach all their receipts to it. They submit it again electronically, and bring in the 'Finished' Claim that they printed to the OR, replacing the first page with the first page of their draft claim/Route Letter which has the authorizing signatures.
If there is a problem with your Direct Deposit, as was mentioned in a previous post, the member will receive an email from Ottawa requesting Banking information to be Faxed to them. In my case, my Fin Clerk had kept the samples of our VOID cheques on record and it was a simple matter of faxing a copy off to the number provided in the email.
The Direct Deposit does not take very long and is usually in you bank account in less than 12 days.
Any prolonged delays in Claims today are not usually the result of the System, but of the member not submitting the required documentation.
For those who have yet to be introduced to ClaimsX, your day is coming soon. It can be a very frustrating procedure when you first get into it, but in the end, it greatly speeds up the process. When you first load it on your computer, logoff before you try to use it or you will get error messages and be tempted to throw your monitor out a window, over a cubicle or off a bridge. Make sure you have all your Banking info ready when you first logon, and be prepared to have to Fax it off to Ottawa. Once you are set, you can go in and review all your claims over the years.
Because of processes like ClaimsX and Security Clearances, all members of the CF must now have a DWAN account as soon as they join.