[Request for Review of Claims Group Action on Application for Waiver of Overpayments]

A government employee requested a review of the Claims Group's action on his application for a waiver of salary overpayments he received resulting from excess annual leave erroneously credited to his leave account. The Claims Group determined that the employee's indebtedness should be waived based on a reconstruction of his leave account. However, since the agency calculated a larger overpayment than the amount the Claims Group waived, the agency determined that the employee was still indebted to the government. GAO found that: (1) the agency had improperly calculated the overpayment; (2) the Claims Group overpayment waiver, combined with a necessary downward adjustment to the employee's leave account, fully extinguished his indebtedness; and (3) the agency action to collect an additional amount was in error. Accordingly, the Claims Group determination was sustained.