GSA Freezes 2022 Lodging Per Diem Rates Due to COVID

The FY 2022 per diem rates have been released. While some have changed, the lodging rates are frozen as a result of the pandemic.

The General Services Administration has issued the fiscal year 2022 per diem rates for federal employees who travel for work. While the meals and incidentals rates were revised, the lodging rates have been frozen at the 2021 levels because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The agency said that it bases the maximum lodging allowances on historical average daily rate (ADR) data, but because of the sharp declines from the pandemic, it decided to freeze the rates at the 2021 levels “to ensure the maximum lodging allowances for federal travelers are sufficient in FY 2022 as the lodging industry recovers.”

According to GSA, “ADR is a widely accepted lodging industry measure derived from a property’s room rental revenue divided by the number of rooms rented as reported by the hotel property to the contractor. This calculation provides GSA with the average rate in an area.”

These are other factors that can influence lodging rates.

The per diem rates apply to federal employees who travel within the lower 48 continental United States (CONUS) and the District of Columbia. The new rates will take effect on October 1, 2021, the start of the 2022 fiscal year for the federal government.

The standard lodging per diem rate will remain unchanged at $96. The meals and incidentals (M&IE) reimbursement rates were revised. The M&IE non-standard areas (NSA) tiers range from $59-$79, and the standard M&IE rate is $59.

The complete list of 2022 per diem rates is available at http://www.gsa.gov/perdiem.

Meals and Incidentals (M&IE) Breakdown for FY 2022

M&IE Total1Continental
Breakfast/ 
Breakfast2
Lunch2Dinner2Incidental
Expenses
First & Last Day of Travel3
$59$13$15$26$5$44.25
$64$14$16$29$5$48.00
$69$16$17$31$5$51.75
$74$17$18$34$5$55.50
$79$18$20$36$5$59.25

1 This column lists the full daily amount federal employees receive for a single calendar day of travel when that day is neither the first nor last day of travel.

2 The separate amounts for breakfast, lunch and dinner listed in the chart are provided should you need to deduct any of those meals from your trip voucher. For example, if your trip includes meals that are already paid for by the government (such as through a registration fee for a conference), you will need to deduct those meals from your voucher. Refer to Section 301-11.18 of the Federal Travel Regulation for specific guidance on deducting these amounts from your per diem reimbursement claims for meals furnished to you by the government. Other organizations may have different rules that apply for their employees; please check with your organization for more assistance.

3 This column lists the amount federal employees receive for the first and last calendar day of travel. The first and last calendar day of travel is calculated at 75 percent.

About the Author

Ian Smith is one of the co-founders of FedSmith.com. He has over 20 years of combined experience in media and government services, having worked at two government contracting firms and an online news and web development company prior to his current role at FedSmith.