Close To 24 Million

[Berta]

"Recent VA News Releases

To view and download VA news release, please visit the following

Internet address:

http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel

Nearly 11,000 Survivors to Receive Retroactive Payments by New Years

Search for Other Eligible Survivors Continues

WASHINGTON (Dec. 24, 2008) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

has identified nearly 11,000 surviving spouses of deceased veterans who

will receive a lump-sum payment before the New Year to correct an error

in their VA benefits. Also documented were more than 73,000 who had

been previously paid. VA officials are still tracking down eligible

survivors.

"I am pleased that our task force working to correct this problem has

been able to identify this first group this week," said Secretary of

Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "We understand the difference these

funds can make for these surviving spouses, especially during the

holiday season."

Payments will be released to these survivors on Dec. 29. The total

value of the payments is about $24 million.

At issue is a 1996 federal law that makes a surviving spouse eligible to

receive the veteran's VA compensation or pension benefit for the month

of the veteran's death. VA failed to properly implement that law in all

cases.

Most likely to have been affected by this problem are surviving spouses

who never applied for VA survivors' benefits following the death of a

veteran. Eligible for the payment are surviving spouses of veterans who

died after Dec. 31, 1996. The Department doesn't have current addresses

for many of them, which makes the process of contacting them difficult.

VA has established a special Survivor Call Center (1-800-749-8387) for

spouses who believe they may be eligible for this retroactive benefit.

The Call Center is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00

p.m., Central Standard Time. Inquiries may also be submitted through

the Internet at http://www.vba.va.gov/survivorsbenefit.htm. "

[john999]

What about interest they lost on that money for all those years? The VA pays them off with cheaper dollars.

[Stretch]

The VA will not continue to cheat Widows if we all continue to stick together. This, cheating widows, is as petty as a Government Administrative Department can get. I wonder if it is coming from the bottom up, or from the top down.

With decisions made by anonymous people, and protected with the PEAKE 'No public floggings Rule', how can any oversight be done at all. There are no consequences of criminal actions if there are no names to connect them.

There needs to be a name connected to the crime even if the criminal says that she/he can't remember.

The VA has a diffusion of responsibility. (← link ←) that allows them to violate their own laws.

Once again the VA Genovese Syndrome (bystander effect) is in operation. Don't know who Sue Genovese was?

Please check out this Genovese Syndrome.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty_Genovese

Examples

• Kitty Genovese, a New York woman, was stabbed to death near her apartment. The New York Times reported "Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder Didn't Call the Police," blaming social apathy.
  
• In a firing squad, one of the shooters may be randomly issued a weapon containing a blank cartridge rather than a bullet. This allows each of the members of the firing squad to believe that he did not fire a fatal shot.
  
• In some electric chairs there are many switches, only one of which is connected. The executioners may then choose to believe that they pulled a non-functional switch.
  
• This phenomenon also applies to much more mundane circumstances, such as cleaning and maintenance of shared space/items or unassigned work in large organizations getting neglected.
  
  

[Berta]

Danang made a good point-

my husband's last 30% comp check came the same month he died (for the previous month)

VA whipped it out of our checking immediately when I called to report his death.

Then they posthumously award 100% P & T for 3 years prior to death- 3 1/2 years later-

I cant figure out if they owe me or not-

he died before the reg on this was published- so maybe not-

BTW all- when the VA makes an accrued award-the survivors is now eligible for ALL of the accrued benefits if the vet died after Dec 2003 (Bonny V Principi)

For deaths prior to Bonny they save money if there is over 2 years in accrued this way-

although the deceased vet might have an accrued payment much larger then the 2 years due the survivor-for deaths prior to Dec 2003-

they send the survivor the 2 years retro accrued based on the cheapest 2 years-not the successive- to-death 2 years.

Since this only involves a cola or two they save-or perhaps some dependents accrued as well- still

this is one more way -if you add up the fact that they have done this to numerous survivors-that the VA keeps money by manipulating the two years period they will use for accrued.

I dont think they can do this under the new Bonny Regs but every single thing I ever got from VA -to include my award letters- all had errors I had to fight with NOD or CUEs.

And as I mentioned they made an enormous error when they did send me the CUE amount that the RC awarded.

The financial breakdown of the CUE offset award looked so legitimate I almost didnt question it but had I not questioned it they would have saved over 11,000 bucks.

We need to carefully assess every singlee thing they send- particularily retro amounts.

PS-VA says the checks are in the mail- that is on Dec 29th:

http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfdec08/nf122408-8.htm

[Guest morgan]

Danang made a good point-

my husband's last 30% comp check came the same month he died (for the previous month)

VA whipped it out of our checking immediately when I called to report his death. quote]

Berta, my husband just died last week, does that mean the VA will take back his December direct deposit?

Edited December 26, 2008 by morgan

[Berta]

Morgan -I just replied to your other post -such very sad news-

No the VA is not supposed to take that last check out of your checking account at all!

[deltaj]

There is a law that covers this in 38 U.S.C. that concerns a 100% rating and the month of death. My mom used it to get benefits for the month my dad died. He was 100% at the time of his death.

Danang made a good point-

my husband's last 30% comp check came the same month he died (for the previous month)

VA whipped it out of our checking immediately when I called to report his death.

Then they posthumously award 100% P & T for 3 years prior to death- 3 1/2 years later-

I cant figure out if they owe me or not-

he died before the reg on this was published- so maybe not-

BTW all- when the VA makes an accrued award-the survivors is now eligible for ALL of the accrued benefits if the vet died after Dec 2003 (Bonny V Principi)

For deaths prior to Bonny they save money if there is over 2 years in accrued this way-

although the deceased vet might have an accrued payment much larger then the 2 years due the survivor-for deaths prior to Dec 2003-

they send the survivor the 2 years retro accrued based on the cheapest 2 years-not the successive- to-death 2 years.

Since this only involves a cola or two they save-or perhaps some dependents accrued as well- still

this is one more way -if you add up the fact that they have done this to numerous survivors-that the VA keeps money by manipulating the two years period they will use for accrued.

I dont think they can do this under the new Bonny Regs but every single thing I ever got from VA -to include my award letters- all had errors I had to fight with NOD or CUEs.

And as I mentioned they made an enormous error when they did send me the CUE amount that the RC awarded.

The financial breakdown of the CUE offset award looked so legitimate I almost didnt question it but had I not questioned it they would have saved over 11,000 bucks.

We need to carefully assess every singlee thing they send- particularily retro amounts.

PS-VA says the checks are in the mail- that is on Dec 29th:

http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfdec08/nf122408-8.htm