53,000 Soldiers Overpaid In January

[DSchmitke]

53,000 Soldiers Overpaid In January
By Eric W. Cramer
Army News Service
January 13, 2005

WASHINGTON - Soldiers who see an extra few hundred dollars in their mid-month January paychecks shouldn't spend it.

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service made an error that will cause about 53,000 Soldiers to be paid too much in January. The Army will collect the funds from end-of-month paychecks to restore financial balance.

Most of the affected Soldiers will receive overpayments of between $200 and $300. There are 316 Soldiers who will receive overpayments of more than $500, a DFAS official said.

When the Army "draws back" the overpayments, it will take back the overpayments of $500 and more in two installments, officials said, to reduce any potential hardship for Soldiers.
Those who received less than $500 extra will see the drawback in the January end of the month paycheck, Col. Kenneth Crowder, director of Army Pay Operations for the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, said those affected are Soldiers who have Army meal cards, but who are authorized for reimbursement for some meals.
Crowder said an incorrect date entered into a computer database caused the error.

He said DFAS was changing to the new rate for meal reimbursements, when a data entry error backdated the change to 2004.

"It (the computer system) tried to apply the new rate to the entire previous year," Crowder said.

He said DFAS is notifying the affected Soldiers via their Army Knowledge Online accounts and through their chains of command.

"Every Soldier involved will receive a specific, personal e-mail explaining what occurred and what the corrective actions are," Crowder said.

[JAG5150]

That's roughly $15,900,000 overpaid to the soldiers in the Army that will be taken out of their checks at the end of the month.

When do we take back all of the money that has been sent to other countries? Oh that's right never, seems fair to me.

[femalemarine_89]

I hate when the Govt. F**** up like that and then its the military personals problem to get the money paid back. Chit like this ****es me off soo bad.

[Mr.Rod]

If we screwed up and sent the govt. too much money, how much of a stink would they raise before givin it back? Let the soldiers keep the money, and take it out of some of the foreign aid that this govt. gives away so freely without our permission.

[femalemarine_89]

Thats exactly it. You know when the admin messes up and puts a wrong code well they dont have to pay that money back.. its the person who got over paid. I think its a crock.

[Sgted]

I've got an idea.
Lets deduct the $15,900,000 from the $40+ million slated for the Presidential inauguration.
That leaves about $25 million for a pretty big party for all those political egos in Washington.
And, its a great way for the President to show his appreciation for a job well done !!

[Mr.Rod]

Like that day will ever happen...........

[femalemarine_89]

exactually.. LIKE THAT WILL EVER HAPPEN. I think the govt needs to stop and think, but then again that is asking too much of the govt.

[HardJedi]

man, wish I woulda got overpaid just ONCE in my life, at ANY job I have had. oh well, whats the difference if the got overpaid early or not? it's not like it was some outrageous amount, like three grand each or something.

so it's not like they REALLY got overpaid, just paid most of thier check a little bit early. I just don't understand the big deal. We USED to only get paid once a month anyway, didn't we? or am I mis-remembering?

[femalemarine_89]

You know Jedi what gets me is the govt dont care if they get over paid, its when the military actually gets what we deserve and then all of a sudden we are over paid and now have to pay it back. You know I dont believe that is right. I know my husbands DK from his old ship messed up his pay big time when we transfered, and we have actually had to pay it back, we are still paying it back and it has been almost a year later. The Dk from his old ship never put in the right code so they say we got over paid. Us having to pay it back is not goign to teach that DK to do his job right now is it? SO what this shows me is that he can fuk up as much as he wants to and no punishment? Give me a break.

[DSchmitke]

I remember the 15th and the 30th of the month.

[HardJedi]

well, of COURSE FM89, that is MUCH different, an amount that causes you to have to pay money BACK for over a year is a HUGE screw up, and deserves punishment, but 300-500 bucks just means you next check is a little shorter, cause you already GOT the money. see the difference?


not saying that they shouldn't get to keep that extra money, cause lord knows some of them probably deserve it, just saying that it's not that big of a deal when dealing with individualy small amounts

[yellowwing]

I worked for a firm that did Medicaid billing for the State of Tennessee. At first they thought it was my fault for losing SIX MILLION DOLLARS.

Lucky for me it was traced to an obscure systems error. Not my fault.

On another contract, I had miscalculated a worker's hours and shorted him about $120. That one I really felt bad about, and even fronted him $50.

[femalemarine_89]

but the thing is Hard, is that they cant show us where we supposedly got over paid. They said that they over paid us on our travel.. We have figured it over and over and from the figures that we come up with they actually underpaid us.. And the amount was not that much they have just been taking it out in little amounts.

[HardJedi]

Originally posted by yellowwing
I worked for a firm that did Medicaid billing for the State of Tennessee. At first they thought it was my fault for losing SIX MILLION DOLLARS.

Lucky for me it was traced to an obscure systems error. Not my fault.

.

uh-huh is that what you told the investigators? LMAO