[Decision on Appeal of Claims Group's Denial of Navy Employee's Request for Waiver of Compensation Overpayments]

A Navy employee appealed the Claims Group's disallowance of a waiver of compensation overpayments he received due to administrative errors. GAO noted that: (1) the Navy failed to deduct the employee's annuity payments after it rehired him; (2) the Navy improperly withheld life insurance premiums from the employee's salary; and (3) the employee informed the Navy of the overpayments on 10 separate occasions. GAO held that the employee should refund the overpayments to the Navy since he was aware of the overpayments and should have known that he would have to repay the money when the Navy discovered the error. Accordingly, the Claims Group's decision was sustained.