(a) Unless otherwise prohibited by law, FMCS may request that moneys which are due and payable to a debtor from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund be administratively offset in reasonable amounts in order to collect in one full payment, or a minimal number of payments, debts owed to the United States by the debtor. Such requests shall be made to the appropriate officials of the Office of Personnel Management in accordance with such regulations as may be prescribed by the Director of that Office.

(b) When making a request for administrative offset under paragraph (a) of this section, FMCS shall include a written certification that:

(1) The debtor owes the United States a debt, including the amount of the debt;

(2) The FMCS has complied with the applicable statutes, regulations, and procedures of the Office of Personnel Management; and

(3) The FMCS has complied with the requirements of § 1450.10 of this subpart, including any required hearing or review.

(c) Once FMCS decides to request adminstrative offset under paragraph (a) of this section, it will make the request as soon as practical after completion of the applicable procedures in order that the Office of Personnel Management may identify and “flag” the debtor's account in anticipation of the time when the debtor requests or become eligible to receive payments from the Fund. This will satisfy any requirement that offset be initiated prior to expiration of the applicable statute of limitations. At such time as the debtor makes a claim for payments from the Fund, if at least a year has elapsed since the offset request was originally made, the debtor should be permitted to offer a satisfactory payment plan in lieu of offset upon establishing that changed financial circumstances would render the offset unjust.

(d) If FMCS collects part or all of the debt by other means before deductions are made or completed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, FMCS shall act promptly to modify or terminate its request for offset under paragraph (a) of this section.

(e) This section does not require or authorize the Office of Personnel Management to review the merits of the FMCS determination with respect to the amount and validity of the debt, its determination as to waiver under an applicable statute, or its determination to provide or not provide a hearing.