Request for Waiver of Debt

An enlisted member of the Navy requested reconsideration of the denial of his request for waiver of his debt to the United States arising from erroneous payments made to him on his monthly pay. The member received a substantial increase in his monthly pay for 5 months due to erroneous payments of basic allowance for quarters, and brought the matter to the attention of the disbursing clerks who assured him that his pay was correct. GAO held that the member was not without fault because any unexplained substantial increase in his pay should have alerted him to the possibility that he was being overpaid, and he should have pursued the matter until it had been explained satisfactorily. Therefore, the prior action was sustained.