Over-payment Information

CBP has offered a series of measures, to include a salary advance and a repayment plan, to address the adverse financial impact on Officers and Agriculture Specialists who had to pay additional monies into their TSP as a result of the increase in the COPRA overtime cap to $45,000.

Some COPRA-covered employees now have to reimburse the government for additional withholding deductions because of the increase in the overtime cap. However, the way the reimbursement was handled (i.e., by deducting 10% from the Officers’ pay without first offering a repayment plan or the opportunity to review their alleged “debt”) caused severe impact for many employees.

We are pleased to report that because of NTEU forwarding these concerns to CBP, the agency has just advised NTEU that it will address this situation going forward as follows: - Additional collection actions will be delayed until PP7; - Employees will be offered interest-free salary advances; - Employees will have the opportunity to enter into a repayment plan; and - Employees will be offered the opportunity to discuss their personal situation with the CBP payroll branch.

Please contact the CBP payroll branch if you have been impacted by this issue.