[Request for Reconsideration of Denial of Application for Indebtedness Waiver]

An Air Force employee requested reconsideration of the Claims Group's denial of his application for waiver of his debt. GAO found that the employee: (1) had continued to receive post allowance and living quarters allowance payments after his permanent change of station; and (2) was overpaid due to an administrative error on the part of the Air Force in failing to terminate both allowances. In his appeal, the employee contended that: (1) he had been unable to work since his involuntary retirement and that he had difficulty meeting his financial obligations; (2) there was no obvious indication of any error in the amount of pay and allowances since his paychecks were directly deposited; and (3) he received no further communication after he made his original application for waiver and assumed the waiver had been granted. GAO determined that: (1) the employee was partially at fault in failing to recognize the administrative errors by checking his leave and earnings statements and the record of his bank deposits on a regular basis and failing to notify appropriate agency personnel that his pay was not reduced when he was reassigned to his new station; and (2) an employee on notice of an error in his pay has a duty to return the excess sums or set aside that amount for refund when the administrative error is corrected. Accordingly, the Claims Group's decision was sustained.