Allowances. 1  Subsistence allowance-is any allowance paid by the employer to the employee to cover accommodation, meals or incidentals costs where the employee is, by reason of the duties of his or her office or employment, obliged to spend at least one night away from his or her usual place of residence in the Republic.llowances. 1  Subsistence allowance-is any allowance paid by the employer to the employee to cover accommodation, meals or incidentals costs where the employee is, by reason of the duties of his or her office or employment, obliged to spend at least one night away from his or her usual place of residence in the Republic.