Got a DFAS debt letter? Dispute it or ask for a waiver

You pick the right path for a DFAS debt and file before the deadline.

About 60 minNeed: The debt letterNeed: The 3 LESs before the overpaymentNeed: Orders and records that show what happenedNeed: DD 2789 for a waiver

Filmed on the live public site. Narration is an AI voice, checked line by line by a person.

Step by step

01
Read the letter
Write down the issue date, the amount, and the debt code on page 1.
02
Decide: wrong or valid?
If the debt is wrong, ask for a review (a dispute). If it is right but not your fault, ask for a waiver. You cannot do both at the same time.
03
Move fast on a dispute
A 2026 legal guide says to ask for the evidence or dispute within 30 days of the letter's issue date, not the day you got it. This usually pauses collection.
04
Gather proof
Pull your orders, LESs and any records that show what happened. A waiver needs copies of the 3 LESs before the overpayment.
05
File a waiver on DD 2789
Fill out and sign DD 2789. Reserve members have 5 years from the date the error was found.
Without a valid, signed DD 2789, collection keeps going.
06
Send it where the letter says
Send your waiver to the address on your debt letter. Keep a copy of everything you send.
07
Wait, and keep up any payments
DFAS takes about 60 days to process a waiver. If payments stop while it is pending, the debt can go to the Treasury with added fees.
08
Ask about remission
Remission is a separate hardship route run by the Army, not DFAS. Check with your unit admin on the form and the rules for Reservists.

! You cannot dispute and ask for a waiver at the same time.
! SGLI premiums can build into a debt during months you are not paid.
! A waiver looks at whether you should have caught the error on your LES. Read your LES every month.
! Unpaid debts can be reported to credit bureaus and sent to collectors.