[BLM Employee's Request for Waiver of Salary Overpayment]

A Bureau of Land Management (BLM) employee appealed his denied request for waiver of salary overpayment. GAO had held that the claimant should have expected his salary to remain the same or decrease after he accepted a position with a reduced grade. In his appeal, the claimant contended that he did not question his increased pay rate, since: (1) rate rules allowed agencies to pay employees at the higher of two rates within the same grade; and (2) his selection from the BLM merit promotion plan entitled him to more money. GAO held that the claimant was not at fault for the salary overpayment, since: (1) his office erroneously informed him that the grade and step he proposed were correct; (2) he had no knowledge of the federal pay system; and (3) BLM did not inform him of the financial consequences of accepting a downgraded position. Accordingly, the waiver was granted.