Pay recovery – Mandatory meeting with a Pay Specialist

Topic

Pay recovery – Mandatory meeting with a Pay Specialist

Case number

• 2014-123 (F&R Date: 2015–04–23)

Description

When a member must reimburse an overpayment as a result of errors on the part of  the CAF had, the Committee was of the view that it is important to always  discuss the issue with the CAF member concerned, preferably in person. The Committee specified that the pay specialist who meets with the member should have examined and reviewed the file beforehand and has in their possession all of the supporting documents, as well as copies for the member, detailing the transactions that took place. Such a meeting would be a way of showing respect for the member, who is entitled to receive clear and precise explanations to justify recovery of the overpayment, as it is important that the member properly understand the calculations leading to the recovery.

The Committee recognized that holding such a meeting could sometimes pose logistical challenges, but it pointed out that there could be a threshold for an in-person meeting, a videoconference or a phone call for the recovery of smaller amounts of funds.

Recommendation

The Committee recommended that, in all cases involving the recovery of an overpayment, the CDS should order that a meeting take place with the CAF member concerned, preferably in person or, if that is not possible, by videoconference, in order to clearly explain to the CAF member all of the transactions that were performed.

Final Authority Decision

The grievance was withdrawn at the Final Authority level