In a dramatic and inexcusable case of administrative oversight, the Veterans Administration (VA) has allegedly suspended benefits for over 4,200 recipients in the past four years – all which were “presumed dead,” despite being very much alive and well.
Late last year, a Florida lawmaker made an inquiry into the VA’s records, specifically seeking information on the number of terminations premised on “presumed demise.” The inquiry came after several of his constituents in the Tampa area complained about losing their benefits – and having to navigate a bureaucratic labyrinth to reinstate their rightful entitlements.
As a result of the inquiry, the VA revealed that over 1,000 terminations were occurring per year, all of which were erroneous. The highest number of errors occurred in 2015, 1,025 American veterans losing their monthly benefits after being wrongfully presumed dead.
In a statement by the VA, “[d]uring calendar years 2011 through 2015, VA terminated 2,057,790 awards due to the death of the beneficiary. During the same time period, VA resumed awards for 4,201 of these beneficiaries after receiving information indicating the beneficiary was not deceased.”
In a rebuttal statement, the Florida Congressman remarked that such oversight is a “widespread problem,” despite the VA’s assertion that its termination accuracy rate was 99.8%. Further, the Congressman lamented that these oversights have caused “needless hardships” and that “[w]e simply cannot have men and women who have sacrificed for this country see their rightful benefits wrongfully terminated because the VA mistakenly declares them dead.”
Benefits available to veterans and their spouses vary depending on the unique needs and background of the applicant. At Monk Legal, we assist clients with any of the following:
- Burial & memorial benefits
- Death pensions
- Dependency & indemnity compensation
- Disability compensation
- Employment & training benefits
- Special Monthly Compensation
- Survivor benefits
- Veterans’ healthcare
- Veterans’ life insurance
Contact a veterans’ benefits attorney today!
If you are facing a difficult situation obtaining or maintaining your veterans benefits, please do not hesitate to contact the Monk Law Firm, PLLC right away: 704-369-9977.