The rules are sometimes different for Senior Missionaries, but your clerk's understanding for younger missionaries is definitely incorrect. Most elders will have 24 deductions for a 24-month mission. The first payment is deducted early in the month the missionary enters the MTC, but there will only be 24 payments unless the missionary serves at least 15 days longer than 2 full years (in which case it would indeed be 25 payments). Sometimes a missionary will serve more than 24.5 months because of extensions or just the way the transfer dates work out, but the majority serve less than that and have only 24 payments.shbishop wrote:Our Branch Clerk told me that a Senior Couple pays for both the month they start and the month they return. According to his understanding most younger Missionaries would have 25 deductions for a 24 month Mission and Senior Missionaries would have 19 deductions for an 18 month mission.
Since your clerk certainly misunderstood the payment schedule for elders, I would have some doubts about his blanket statements about senior missionaries.
I can't speak to this particular case, but I'd be wary of generalizing from one particular situation, especially one with an unusual aspect.shbishop wrote:One couple paid 18 times but only served 17 months due to a passport visa problem. Was that 18th deduction caused by the Pay Every Month program or because CHQ was not notified that the couple had come home early?