Claim for Reimbursement of Travel Expenses

In advance decision was requested as to whether an amount paid for reimbursement of travel expenses should be recouped where a supplemental voucher for the same travel expenses was presented with estimated meal costs revised upward. An employee on temporary duty to a high cost geographical area claimed and was reimbursed for subsistence in an amount less than the area rate. Later he submitted a supplemental voucher claiming additional reimbursement based upon subsistence and lodging which totaled $241.40 more than was claimed on the original voucher. An investigative report indicated that the employee admitted to increasing the meal section on his supplemental travel claim, but he said he computed the amount of money spent for food while on temporary duty and divided that amount to reach the figure he claimed for food on a daily basis. It appeared that the employee lacked knowledge regarding the provisions relating to the Government's reimbursement for travel expenses, and there was no evidence of an intent to defraud when the claimant submitted his original and supplemental vouchers. Apparently he did not understand the differences between reimbursement on an actual expense basis when traveling to high cost areas and reimbursement on the commuted per diem basis. In the absence of receipts or other evidence supporting the claimant's actual cost for meals, however, reimbursement of the added sum claimed on the supplemental voucher must be denied. On the other hand, recoupment of the amount paid on the original voucher would not be appropriate since the agency had not found, nor did the facts show, that the claimant intended to defraud the Government.