Payments Still Concentrated in a Few Agencies

As in past similar reports, OPM found that use of the payments is concentrated in a relative handful of agencies. Justice, State, Defense, SEC, GAO and State paid out all but about 800 of the loan reimbursements and all but about $4.4 million of the total. While those were also the leading agencies in the past, Justice increased its program substantially, primarily at the FBI where the primary recipients were special agents, intelligence analysts and investigative specialists. By occupation, the greatest numbers overall went to attorneys and criminal investigators. Also as in the past, agencies said that the greatest barriers to wider use of the program are lack of funding, the taxable status of the payments and the three-year service requirements that come with them.