Another 'dead' Vet Is Alive

[Berta]

Another 'dead' vet is Alive:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/08/va-claims-living-veteran-is-dead-sends-burial-check-cuts-benefits/

This is awful too:

"A federal grand jury in Clarksburg has charged Hendricks, WV resident Dorothy Lawson with fraudulently collecting spousal death benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld II said Lawson, 66, had been married to a veteran who died in 1991. Her spousal death benefits should have ended when she married again in 1995, but investigators claim she continued to accept payments until 2013. Lawson also allegedly failed to report her remarriage on at least two occasions, the government said."

http://www.statejournal.com/story/29006233/hendricks-wv-woman-charged-with-collecting-spousal-death-benefits-from-va-after-remarriage-dorothy-lawson-arwen-palmer-dustin-phillips-deonte-spicer

The remarriage laws have changed but her failure to report the remarriage caused this very serious legal predicament.

"18. I am a widow/er; if I remarry, do I lose my benefits? If I later get divorced or my new spouse dies, do I get my VA benefits back?



Regarding Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a remarried surviving spouse whose subsequent marriage is annulled or declared void can reestablish eligibility as a surviving spouse. However, effective September 30, 1998, the law was changed to allow a surviving spouse to reestablish DIC eligibility after termination of remarriage. Therefore, after September 30, 1998, eligibility for DIC is established in any case in which the remarriage of the surviving spouse is terminated by death, divorce, or annulment. Also, remarriage of a surviving spouse after the age of 57 does not preclude continued payment of DIC. "

http://www.va.gov/SURVIVORS/FAQs.asp

[broncovet]

Yes, the VA wants to throw Vets who mess up under the bus every time. However, watch VA employees go scot free, or even get promoted when they screw up.

[Buck52]

well it should be the VA fault if the idiots kept paying this lady all this time?...my thought are maybe she didn't know about contacting the va when her hubby died?and besides the SSA is suppose to report his death. VA missed it? there error!

jmo

....................Buck