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Va Glitch Causes Dic Widow More Grief.


Commander Bob

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  • HadIt.com Elder

Dear Honorable Senator Akaka,

I am concerned about my wife's DIC payments after I die. I am a former resident of Hawaii. I write you today as a combat wounded Vietnam veteran, recovering from cancer treatments and surgery. While putting my affairs in order, I came across a veterans website posting which brings me to you today.

I read this veteran's widow's posting on Christmas, . ...I have come to Hadit this time with a broken heart. My kind and sweet husband of 27 years died last Friday. ...

Saturday, January 3rd, the widow wrote, ...I was glad to see that VA had deposited his payment as usual for the month of his death. Auto payments were due to post in a few days -- and..... But late yesterday afternoon, VA withdrew the entire deposit. I'm wondering how VA could withdraw the entire amount.

Reference is made to the "Honolulu Star Bulletin," Dec. 20, 2008.;

<H1 id=storyTitle>VA to fix spousal-payment glitch</H1>"A Maui widow's plight highlights a computer error that wrongfully denied certain benefits

By Gregg K. Kakesako

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Dec 20, 2008

****The Department of Veterans Affairs will begin issuing retroactive payments this month to eligible surviving spouses of war veterans who have been wrongfully denied up to millions of dollars in government benefits over the past 12 years. The problem was pointed out to VA director James Peake last week by Sen. Daniel Akaka, chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, after the Hawaii Democrat received a complaint from Ruby Sasaoka of Kula, Maui, who was told by the VA that she wasn't entitled to her husband's last pension and disability check of $2,669.

Her husband, Raymond Sasaoka, died last December and she had used his last VA check to pay for funeral expenses. He had served in the Korean War as an Army corporal and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and hearing loss.

In January, the VA told Ruby Sasaoka to return the money and nine months later the U.S. Treasury took the money out of her checking account.

However, Congress passed a law in 1996 giving veterans' spouses the right to keep their spouses' final month of benefits.

But the VA never updated its automated computer systems, which sends out checks and notification letters. As a result, spouses were either denied the final month of payment or asked to send the checks back. If the checks were already deposited or spent, the U.S. Treasury moved to seize the money directly from their accounts.

"This flawed practice has caused serious hardship for many widows," Akaka said last week. "Now that this problem has been brought to light, I trust that surviving spouses will receive the benefits they are due."

Based on Akaka's inquiry, Peake established a special task force to identify and pay the beneficiaries who never received the benefit or were inadvertently required to repay the money issued for the month of a veteran's death.

The task force is reviewing VA's payment records for veterans who died after Dec. 31, 1996, and who are survived by a spouse. The review will identify those to whom VA owes retroactive benefits for the month of the veteran's death.

Because there are deceased veterans for whom VA does not have marital status information, a special Survivors' Call Center has been established for spouses who believe they may be entitled to this retroactive month-of-death benefit.

Surviving spouses are encouraged to contact the Survivors' Call Center at (800) 749-8387, Mondays through Fridays. Inquiries may also be submitted through online at www.vba.va.gov/survivorsbenefit.htm.

Akaka's committee estimates that 50,000 surviving spouses each year since 1996 could be affected, based on VA numbers. Out of that 50,000, some spouses might have received the payments they were due if they called the VA at the time to inquire about their rights.****

It is arrogant of the bureaucrats responsible for correcting the problem, to have failed you and the widow, whom I don't know. VA director Peake needs to be brought before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and be chastised for his slow action to your comments to him. It also makes you look easliy beguiled by those you are burdended to oversee, and if I may be blunt... ineffective as a leader. What are you going to do about this?

Again, I am concerned about my wife's DIC payments after I die.

Yours truly,

xxxx xxxxxxxxxx

Edited by Commander Bob 92-93
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No. I sure haven't!

When you go to the VA website - they have a special notice that says if you are a widow of a veteran who was receiving benefits at the time of their death to go to the IRIS page and select “Survivors Month of Death Benefit” for your Topic.

So I did that...on January 19, 2009 - gave them all the info - INCLUDING the fact that the June 2007 Finance Operation Sheet in my file says I am entitled to the payment.

But I guess the fact that I have already been determined eligible a year and a half ago doesn't speed up the process at all. Because the only response I have received so far is the automatic reply letting me know I would hear from them in five business days.

But I haven't heard back yet. I sent a follow up on February 3 as follows:

"This is a follow up to my January 19, 2009 inquiry [xxxx-xxxxx] submitted through the Survivors Month of Death Benefit link, asking to be paid the month of death benefit for my husband’s death.

And a follow up to my May 2008 inquiry [xxxx-xxxxx] in which I asked to be paid the month of death payment, in reimbursement for the funds the VA reclaimed from my bank account on August 7, 2007, despite the fact there is a Finance Operations transmittal sheet in my file, dated June 28, 2007 that states, "Surviving Spouse entitled to one time payment of amt of comp or pen received by veteran at time of death. Remove overpayment (08E Transaction) if payment is not returned. 38 CFR 3.20©"

As I have not received a response to the January 19, 2009 inquiry – and the last response I received to my May 2008 inquiry indicated my inquiry had been forwarded for processing and that I would receive a response by mail , I wanted to follow up on this."

I got an auto-response to that one too. But it hasn't been five business days since my LATEST inquiry --

And since I am still waiting for my letter the May 2008 inquiry response said I would receive --I guess five days is rushing it.

And though it is a special outreach - that doesn't mean it will be handled any more efficiently than it ever was before. Though it does make it look nice to the onlookers.

I also talked to the woman at the toll-free number on January 20, 2009. She was nice - and took the information. But they have been taking information for a couple of years. So I don't know what will come of that.

I have also now asked my local Congressman to follow up on the matter. I sent him copies of the finance transmittal sheet and a copy of the May 2008 IRIS response (telling me my request was forwarded and that I would be getting a letter) and a copy of my bank statement showing the reclaimation of the funds.

I got a letter back from him (or whomever writes his letters) informing me they have contacted the VA about the issue on my behalf.

Two years down -- ????? to go.

Free

Good Morning free spirit etc,...I am just checking in to see if you have received the reimbursement check yet.

Best wishes,

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I FINALLY got the check this Friday!!! I only had to wait two years...

Free

Good Morning free spirit etc,...I am just checking in to see if you have received the reimbursement check yet.

Best wishes,

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