12-year computer glitch cheats vets’ survivors of benefits

Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA) advised his constituents last week that spouses of veterans who died after Dec. 31, 1996, are entitled to benefits they may not have received.
By law, since 1996, deceased veterans’ spouses are entitled to benefits for the month of the veteran’s death. But a computer error at the Veterans Administration (VA) has been demanding that last month’s payment back from widows, or simply not sending 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,” said Thompson in a prepared statement. “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.”
He said the VA has pledged to work quickly to fix the error and is reviewing its payment records for veterans who died after December 31, 1996 and who are survived by 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 Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm Pacific time or on the Internet at www.vba.va.gov/survivorsbenefit.htm.