# 2020-181 Pay and Benefits, Recovery of overpayment

Case summary

F&R Date: 2021-12-09

After numerous unexplained adjustments to his pay account to remedy an overpayment, the grievor calculated that he was owed approximately $12,000. He identified one particular negative adjustment that was possibly the cause of the discrepancy. He also argued that his Specialist (Spec) 1 pay ended one month earlier than the date of his Occupational Transfer (OT). As redress, he sought payment of the outstanding amount and that corrected income tax slips be provided.  

The Initial Authority (IA) had staff at the Director of Military Pay Accounts Processing (DMPAP) verify the grievor's pay account. The IA found that the grievor had been paid Spec 1 correctly, from his qualifying date to the date of his OT. The IA further directed that amended income tax slips be provided to the grievor.

The Committee found that the grievor had been aggrieved by the mismanagement and lack of clarity of the adjustments made to his pay account. The Committee noted that the information and explanations of the adjustments made to the grievor's pay account from DMPAP were difficult to follow and did not help explain why each adjustment was necessary. However, the Committee recognized that DMPAP was the subject matter expert in the field of pay accounts and deferred to their expertise as to the accuracy of the grievor's pay account and the need to make the adjustments at issue for tax reasons. The Committee noted conflicting information in the file regarding whether the grievor had been paid Spec 1 up to the date of his OT. The Committee recommended that the Final Authority confirm these entitlements. The Committee also recommended that the Assistant Deputy Minister (Review Services) conduct an internal audit of the pay accounts of Canadian Armed Forces members affected by the implementation of Spec 1 pay for the Army Communications Information Systems Specialist occupation (ACISS).