Thompson speaks out on denied veteran benefits for widows

Eureka Times Standard

North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson alerted constituents Monday that a computer error at the Veterans Administration may have resulted in the wrongful denial of benefits to the surviving spouses of military veterans, for almost 12 years.

Under a law passed in 1996, the spouse of a deceased veteran is entitled to benefits for the month of the veteran's death, but instead the department has been demanding the last month's payment back from the widows, or simply not mailing a check at all.

”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 said in a statement. “I urge all survivors of veterans who died after Dec. 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 the benefits their family member earned by serving our great nation.”

The VA has pledged to work quickly to fix the error, according to a press release from Thompson's office, and is reviewing its payment records for veterans who died after Dec. 31, 1996, and who are survived by a spouse. The VA will begin issuing retroactive payments to eligible surviving spouses at the end of December 2008.

Surviving spouses can contact the VA's Survivors Call Center at (800) 749-8387. The call center is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST. Inquiries can also be submitted online at www.vba.va.gov/survivorsbenefit.htm