Claim for Relocation Expenses by Veterans Administration Employee

A Federal employee stated that he was not authorized relocation expenses incident to an intra-agency transfer from Montana to Massachusetts due to a shortage of funds at the Massachusetts facility. The agency reported that the employee desired to relocate on the East Coast and was advised that he would not be reimbursed costs of transfer. Budget constraints and employee desire to relocate cannot form the basis for denying a transfer if the transfer was found to be in the Government's interest. However, the claimant's transfer did not come within the purview of a merit promotion plan and transfer was viewed as merely for personal reasons, so the travel and transportation expenses were not reimbursable. The claim was denied.