Claim for Relocation Expenses

An advance decision was requested regarding a Veterans Administration employee's claim for relocation expenses incident to a merit promotion transfer. An authorized certifying officer informed the employee at the time of his selection for promotion that it was not agency policy to pay relocation expenses for every selectee. GAO has held that reimbursement of travel and relocation expenses upon an employee's change of station is conditioned upon a determination that the transfer is in the interest of the Government and is not primarily for the convenience or benefit of the employee. GAO found that the primary reason for denying reimbursement in this case was the existence of budget constraints, and GAO has held that these constraints cannot form the basis for denying an employee relocation expenses if the transfer is in the Government's interest. Since the employee's transfer resulted from merit promotion procedures, the transfer was to be regarded as having been accomplished in the interest of the Government. Accordingly, the employee was entitled to the relocation expenses claimed.