Living Quarters Allowance audit impacts USAFE-AFAFRICA civilian employees Published May 6, 2013 By Capt. Reba Good USAFE-AFAFRICA Public Affairs RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- The Department of Defense recently audited living quarters allowance payments in overseas locations and discovered 68 civilian employees in United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa are erroneously receiving LQA. As a result, LQA for those individuals will stop. Erroneous LQA payments typically must be repaid, but the circumstances of these cases warrant the individuals to apply for a waiver of indebtedness, which, if approved, will waive repayment of LQA they were not entitled to. According to DOD policy, as long as there was no evidence of misrepresentation, fraud, or deception to acquire the LQA, the waiver of indebtedness will be supported and the affected employees will not have to repay it. "Our civilian Airmen are vital members of the USAFE-AFAFRICA team, and we are doing everything in our power to ensure the affected families get the support they need," said Lt. Gen. Tom Jones, USAFE-AFAFRICA vice commander. "While this news will create an unfortunate challenge for some of our employees, our personnel specialists are diligently working to provide them with step-by-step procedures to prevent future debt and help set them up for a stable future. This transition will not be easy, but we will ensure it goes smoothly." On May 3, DOD approved a 12-month extension of living quarters allowance for the command's 68 civilian employees. "We understand that people have made life choices based on their continued payment of LQA," said Monique Botting, USAFE-AFAFRICA Personnel Division chief. "The USAFE-AFAFRICA personnel division, as well as the wing civilian personnel offices, are committed to helping each affected employee receive and understand all information necessary for this process." Human resources experts will be available to answer questions regarding relocation to a different housing arrangement, stateside job prospects and resignation options, she said. Along with being a resource for information, these experts will direct employees to support providers including chaplain services, family advocacy centers, Airman and family readiness centers and housing offices to help with adjustment and personal needs. The LQA audit began after an appeal decision in 2011 alerted DOD authorities that overseas commands may have misinterpreted a regulation and paid LQA to employees who had lived overseas and worked for more than one employer before being hired as civilian government employees. According to the Office of Personnel Management, an employee who has worked for more than one employer while overseas is not eligible for LQA. An estimated 500 people throughout Europe may fall into this category, including 51 in USAFE-AFAFRICA. Inspectors reviewing the audit also discovered an additional 17 employees are erroneously receiving LQA due to other administrative errors for a total of 68 civilian employees in USAFE-AFAFRICA. LQA, a tax-free allowance, is intended to substantially cover the costs of rent and utilities for government civilian employees working overseas. The average LQA payment for USAFE-AFAFRICA employees is $35,000 annually. For more information, please contact your local civilian personnel office.