Mandatory Verification of dependents

[broncovet]

I received a letter from VA with a "mandatory verification of dependents".  (Form 21-0538).  A couple years ago, I received a "proposed reduction" (to remove my spouse).  

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Has anyone else been harassed by VA repeatd  RE verification of dependents?  

A year or so before that, I also received a proposed reduction to remove my spouse as a dependent.  

I have been married since 2006, never seperated, always living with my spouse.  This is the THIRD TIME VA insists on Verifying my spouse, when for 18 years, I have continiously been married.  

EACH time I wrote VA a letter, and had my spouse do likewise, that we continue to be married.  

I feel like Im being "targeted" by VA, when I have done nothing wrong.   Worse, it sounds like VA is "making an assumption" that all Vietnam Era Vets are drug addicts or alcoholics, and/or spouse abusers who dont care about their spouse/family and abandon them.  

As someone once said, 

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Are you being paranoid if VA "really is" spying on you, or following you?  

I dont really believe, however, VA is following me, because, if they were, they would likely find my wife by my side and would stop this BS.  

ONE possibility:  A few weeks ago, I was at the VA and they had a table set up to VOTE on whether you wanted to continue receiving care at the VA or be able to get care in the community.  

I voted "in the community" because, at least some of the time, private health care is superior to that offered by VA.  Im quite sure VA does not like this, they would rather Veterans "not have a choice" in their health care, mainly because Veterans who opt to get their health care "in the community" vs VAMC health care would direct funding (aka money) away from VA.  

"IF" VA health care is so much better than private care, like they often boast, why would it trouble VA that we were given the choice?  Isnt it true that many go to VA because they dont have a choice?  Is the VA health care system a "prison" where we have no choice?    I think we should be able to choose our health care options, and not have a VA administrator in Washington make those choices for us.  

[brokensoldier244th]

They are periodically required to verify the status of dependents. They don't know if you are still married or not. I don't think a letter every few years is that onerous and its a lot better than not reminding someone of it and then finding out 2-3 yrs later with the veteran now owing a debt because they never updated anything. Ive been married for 25 and I still get them also. 

 

Edited May 9 by brokensoldier244th

[Lemuel]

1 hour ago, broncovet said:

I received a letter from VA with a "mandatory verification of dependents".  (Form 21-0538).  A couple years ago, I received a "proposed reduction" (to remove my spouse).  

A year or so before that, I also received a proposed reduction to remove my spouse as a dependent.  

I have been married since 2006, never seperated, always living with my spouse.  This is the THIRD TIME VA insists on Verifying my spouse, when for 18 years, I have continiously been married.  

EACH time I wrote VA a letter, and had my spouse do likewise, that we continue to be married.  

I feel like Im being "targeted" by VA, when I have done nothing wrong.   Worse, it sounds like VA is "making an assumption" that all Vietnam Era Vets are drug addicts or alcoholics, and/or spouse abusers who dont care about their spouse/family and abandon them.  

As someone once said, 

I dont really believe, however, VA is following me, because, if they were, they would likely find my wife by my side and would stop this BS.  

ONE possibility:  A few weeks ago, I was at the VA and they had a table set up to VOTE on whether you wanted to continue receiving care at the VA or be able to get care in the community.  

I voted "in the community" because, at least some of the time, private health care is superior to that offered by VA.  Im quite sure VA does not like this, they would rather Veterans "not have a choice" in their health care, mainly because Veterans who opt to get their health care "in the community" vs VAMC health care would direct funding (aka money) away from VA.  

"IF" VA health care is so much better than private care, like they often boast, why would it trouble VA that we were given the choice?  Isnt it true that many go to VA because they dont have a choice?  Is the VA health care system a "prison" where we have no choice?    I think we should be able to choose our health care options, and not have a VA administrator in Washington make those choices for us.  

It was back in the 1990s, more than two decades after my marriage.  

Social Security had transposed my wife's birth date, from the 12th to the 21rst.  The VA would not tell me what the reason for the verifications was until I contacted VAOIG.  Finally, got a request to verify my wife's Social Security account.  It was fortunate because it would have been trouble when she went draw her Social Security.

The did reduce my VA Compensation for three years and I kept sending in the verifications.  The VA just would not tell me I needed to correct my wife's SSA account.

Edited May 9 by Lemuel
correct error

[broncovet]

Thank you for your responses.  

Broken Soldier

   While your point does make sense, I have had 2 reduction proposals prior to the "Mandantory Verification" letter yesterday all on the same issue.  The reduction proposals were the worst.  A reduction proposal seems more than a bit extreme.  That would be like sending an ambulance, police force, and swat team, sirens blaring, to tell you that you needed to make an appointment to go to the dentist.  A redcution proposal is, for many, even scarier than an ambulance showing up at your door.  I have answered many questions and, no doubt, the dreaded "reduction proposal" is as welcome as the grim reaper.  It would make sense to let Vets know about this (apparent) change, since for the first 15 years or so, I received no reduction proposals, only in the past 3 years or so.  A PTSD VET could well go off the deep end with a reduction proposal, since they are often already paranoid.   

Lemeul

   The VA "isnt the only place" with glitches.  While I was in the military, it was not that uncommon to get something wrong with the paycheck, such as wrong number of dependents, or other glitches.  They were always resolved "by the folllowing payday".  Why is it that VA can get away with taking years to straighten out, what could/should be none in minutes or a few hours?  The obvious answer:  They dont care.  Its not THEIR paycheck, so just shuffle it around until it "catches on fire" and someone gets mad enough to raise a hornets nest about it.  In my business classes in college, its called "management by putting out fires", and is the worst possible managment method, the default method due to lack of planning and just plain poor management.  Instead, there should be a method in place that quickly quenches out those glitches before they become forest fires.  

Edited May 9 by broncovet

[Lemuel]

Absolutely agree, Bronco.  Both SSA and VA had the same documents to verify my wife.  Easy to see the date was transposed but it took three years to get it done.  I think the look for ways to cut the entitlements in the VA when there is a budget fight like now.

We then get the "Dlay, Deny, Wait Until They Die" policy augmented in the short run--short run being less than until they die or maybe make your NOK fight for it because they give up easier.

[brokensoldier244th]

26 minutes ago, Lemuel said:

Absolutely agree, Bronco.  Both SSA and VA had the same documents to verify my wife.  Easy to see the date was transposed but it took three years to get it done.  I think the look for ways to cut the entitlements in the VA when there is a budget fight like now.

We then get the "Dlay, Deny, Wait Until They Die" policy augmented in the short run--short run being less than until they die or maybe make your NOK fight for it because they give up easier.

Disability benefits are funded out of a different place in the budget and are not subject to the yearly bickering back and forth over the operational budget. Thats why if there is a shut down we continue to work without pay until it is resolved but veteran disbursements continue to go out. 

[Lemuel]

21 minutes ago, brokensoldier244th said:

Disability benefits are funded out of a different place in the budget and are not subject to the yearly bickering back and forth over the operational budget. Thats why if there is a shut down we continue to work without pay until it is resolved but veteran disbursements continue to go out. 

But the fight about entitlements continues.  SMC-T  The rewrite of law by the secretary is an example.

It is the funding overall that is the problem.  My home care visits are shutting down because the contractor is not getting paid enough to pay the employees.  So, our care is worse than the hold up of your paycheck. We lose services even to the death of us. Subject to the budget fight but those contractors have to eat the losses and thus quit.  So much for privatization. 

Yes, I get my benefits compensation check while they are fighting instead of having to wait like you do for yours. But we both get the check.