Computer Glitch Hits Vets Benefits

Spouses of deceased wrongfully denied benefits for over a decade

Humboldt Sentinel
12/22/08
By Sentinel Staff

WASHINGTON -- Federal officials came clean today and admitted to a computer error at the Veterans Administration which has wrongfully denied benefits for nearly 12 years to an unknown number of surviving spouses of veterans.

Under a law which went into effect in 1996, the spouse of a deceased veteran is entitled to benefits for the month of the veteran’s death, but instead the VA has been demanding the last month’s payment back from widows and widowers, or simply no sending a check at all, according to a release from Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) today.

“It’s outrageous that the spouses of the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country have been wrongfully denied this last month of payments,” Thompson stated. “I urge all survivors of veterans who died after December 31, 1996 to check with the VA to see if they were affected by this error and make sure the VA has their most current address. If folks encounter a problem they shouldn’t hesitate to contact my office and we’ll work on their behalf to make sure they receive all of the benefits their family member earned by serving our great nation.”

For their part, the VA pledged to work quickly to fix the error and review payment records for veterans who died after Dec. 31, 1996 and left behind a spouse. The VA will begin issuing retroactive payments to eligible surviving spouses at the end of this month.

Surviving spouses can contact the VA’s Survivors’ Call Center at (800) 749-8387. The Call Center is open Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Inquiries can also be submitted on the Internet at www.vba.va.gov/survivorsbenefit.htm. Local residents can contact Thompson at (707) 269-9595 or by visiting his district office at 317 Third Street, Suite 1 in Old Town Eureka.