We all know that our disabled veterans have to fight for the benefits they were promised...after fighting for the country and in the process becoming disabled for the country. (As if that should be OK with anyone) It takes a long time to get their compensation claim approved. During that time, they do not have income coming in, especially if they are so disabled, they cannot work.
Bad enough? Nope! The VA determines their compensation and then sends them a check. Over time, the mistake can add up after months, even years. Once the VA discovers their mistake, they turn around and want all the money back all at once. If this seems acceptable to anyone...this country has some serious issues!
VA mistake forces veterans to seek help to pay bills
The Dayton Daily News
By MAX FILBY
Published: March 27, 2019
FAIRBORN, Ohio (Tribune News Service) — Veteran Rodger Zink went three months without receiving benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs in order to correct a nearly $15,000 overpayment mistake he alerted the agency to and which the government caused in the first place.
Zink, who retired from the National Guard for medical reasons, said he had his benefit payments withheld from around Nov. 28 to Feb. 28 so he could pay the VA for the $15,000 overpayment.
“They don’t care about the vet,” Zink said. “They just care about the debt even though it’s their screw up.”
A new law proposed by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown-D, Ohio would only allow the VA to collect debts accrued within the last five years and would prohibit the department from withholding more than 25 percent of benefit payments.
Zink served in Iraq and Afghanistan and was discharged from the Air National Guard in 2011 for a brain injury and was later placed back on active duty to get treatment for a brain tumor. Despite Zink’s concerned phone calls to the VA, the agency kept paying him around $3,300 a month in disability.
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