Reality

Unfortunately for veterans, adding or removing dependents are not a priority for the VA, although they should be because this again hurts their bottom line whether adding or removing. Here is the dirty little secret about dependency, these type of claims are not on Managements "Dashboard", meaning no one is watching how long it takes to process these types of claims, or the processing time to complete such a claim. Since management is not being held accountable for these so called end products, they are hidden away and take a back seat. So, if you wonder why you cannot get dependents added or removed this is why, wrong ? Absolutely wrong to do this to veterans. Last, not all, but there are some who take the approach Mike Hunt mentioned, find a reason to send it back, so it is removed from her or his list, next time it makes it back, more than likely goes to another person, kicking the can down the road.

Yes, you need to do this sooner, rather then later, send in a copy of your divorce decree, along with a VAF 21-4138 asking her to be removed from the award. as always anytime you send something to the VA, send it certified. These types of claims are not a high priority, so just make sure and be prepared for a recoupment letter and a letter from the Debt Management Center (DMC). Do the math and figure out what the difference is in pay with and without spouse, I would put this much back as they will ask for the difference.

Jimmer, I clearly understand, the corruption is so deep in the SES and Senior Management , Directors, Assistant Directors, Coaches and other management staff. Just like the two clowns who worked up in the head shed in D.C remember this? "A VA Office of Inspector General’s report found Rubens and Graves manipulated the hiring system to get moved to positions of lesser responsibility while maintaining the same salary. Rubens and Graves are paid $181,497 and $173,949, respectively.The VA disputed the allegations and instead found the women guilty of the less serious offense of not recusing themselves from the relocation process, in which they received about $400,000. The VA ordered the women demoted and reassigned. "They were demoted to Directors of two Major VBA Offices and still hold those positions!!!! I will be doing some articles here in the near future which should shock most to the core relating to waste, fraud and abuse known by senior leaders and still going on today!!!

Tbird, I appreciate your response and yes, hopefully you and many others will catch on to this travesty. When the day comes and we have a list posted showing we removed SES, Senior Management, Directors, Assistant Directors, Coaches and Assistant Coaches, then and only then will I concede progress. Until then, nothing or very little will change except those folks protecting each other and patting themselves on the back for firing a House Keeper or GS-4 Clerk, it is laughable.

I felt compelled to join this board and write a short article on the new “VA Accountability Act” recently signed into law. I know there is a bunch of hype about this law and many are applauding the signature law, but proceed with caution and we must take a look at the complete picture of what is really going on and who this really affects. Sure, there are some bad employees in the VA and those folks should rightfully be sent packing and I concede this law may help in that process. However, there is a dirty little secret the VA is not telling you and the public display and spectacle of the adverse action report available tells the real truth behind this law. First, look at the report. You will notice the majority are low level employees and not any mangers, Directors, Assistant Directors, Coaches or Assistant Coaches. Again, most are considered low hanging fruit. Now, to the average person reading this report and has no knowledge of how the VA works one would assume, or think, “This is great, they are holding people accountable.”, however once again it is the wrong people. This law has now empowered the VA Leadership and Mid-Level Managers to go after the low hanging fruit as demonstrated in the adverse action report. The VA has now giving the green light to go after employees who “Rock the Boat”, this included employees who challenge bad leadership decision, ideas, report potential fraud, waste, abuse, may openly disagree with their leadership in a public forum, stands up for what is morally and ethically correct. These little pesky VA employees are targeted through the leadership, typically by scrutinizing every little move they make. Unfortunately this includes Combat Veteran’s, Disabled Veteran’s and others who just want to do the right thing. The management teams target the employees by setting them up for failure on at least one critical element of their job. This targeting then requires the employee to be placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). The management knows there is no way for the employee to survive the impossible PIP. This becomes the final death sentence for the employee, ultimately sending him or her packing. Again, look at the report, it does not reveal how many where placed in a PIP and failed to achieve the PIP standards. So, what does this law really mean? well, once again it provides cover for the incompetent VA Leaders, it has failed to hold accountable the real problem with the VA, Mid-Levels Leaders and Management, the law does not address the corruption, fraud, waste and abuse, it has placed fear in most all low level VA Employees, and as the report clearly demonstrate it has only impacted the low hanging fruit. I would ask you to ponder this though. Would the CEO of Amazon, Google, Ford or GM make a spectacle out of all the employees they have under adverse action? Why is the VA the only government agency to make a spectacle out of all the adverse action pending or completed? How is this something to be proud of? Should it not tell you something is wrong with leadership if we are required to send so many people home? Is this not a direct result of poor leadership? How much money did the tax payers spend training, paying all of these bad employees only to send them home? I will be doing some follow on reports about the fraud, waste, abuse and corruption to demonstrate who really needs to be sent home. In closing, the law has good intentions but as we all know or should know by now it has and will continue to be abused by management and leadership to provide cover for their incompetency while they make a spectacle out of all the low hanging fruit they fired. The self righteous management will continue to protect themselves and their own while they continue with the corrupt machine know as the VA.