Per Diem Allowances for Extended Training

This decision was rendered with respect to six employees at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard who, while attending training schools for periods in excess of 120 days commencing at various dates during the period May 1977 to January 1980, were paid per diem allowances in excess of that authorized by Joint Travel Regulations (JTR). A change in JTR, effective August 1976, reduced the rate of per diem allowable for extended training, and no basis existed for allowing the higher per diem for the training performed after the effective date of the lower rate. However, since the overpayments resulted from an administrative failure to implement the regulatory change in the per diem rate over an extended period of time and, since the rate reduction was so substantial and the employees acted in good faith, GAO felt that the equities in this case were such to warrant reporting the matter to Congress pursuant to the Meritorious Claims Act. Accordingly, GAO forwarded a report to Congress requesting consideration of the overpayments as meritorious claims.