# 2021-042 Pay and Benefits, Relocation benefits, Home equity assistance

Case summary

F&R Date: 2021-10-25

The grievor contested the decision by Brookfield Global Relocation Services, the relocation service provider for Canadian Armed Forces members, to not correct the financial errors in their relocation file and to not pay them the claims approved by the Director Compensation and Benefits Administration (DCBA). As redress, the grievor requested that an independent financial expert verify their file. They also requested that the transaction errors be corrected so that the relocation benefits authorized by the DCBA, including home equity assistance (HEA), be reimbursed.

The Committee concluded that the grievor was eligible for certain relocation benefits, including meals, lodging and incidentals, from the core envelope and the custom envelope. The Committee also concluded that the grievor did not incur a home equity loss and was therefore not eligible for HEA reimbursement. Finally, the Committee concluded that the grievor was required to return the benefit they had received for the temporary occupation of two residences because they had not submitted an assessment of their residence conducted by a professional assessor.

The Committee recommended that the Final Authority conduct a detailed review of the grievor's file to ensure that they received all the benefits to which they were entitled and to determine whether they were required to return a sum of money.

FA decision summary

The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) approved the Committee's findings and recommendation. The CDS ordered that a detailed examination of the grievor's file be completed and that the grievor receive the allowances to which they are entitled, as per the applicable Canadian Forces Integrated Relocation Program directive.