Name: Bill aims to end 'terrible practice' that hits late veterans' accounts
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Bill aims to end 'terrible practice' that hits late veterans' accounts

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Navigation This file photo shows, US flags are planted at grave sites at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA, in 2019, ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie wouldn't commit to removing three headstones containing swastikas and messages honoring Adolf Hitler from the graves of German prisoners of war on Thursday, May 28, 2020. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images/TNS) New federal bipartisan legislation aims to prohibit the&nbsp;U.S. Department of Defense&nbsp;from clawing back or recouping some final retirement payments from veterans after they die. U.S.&nbsp;Reps.&nbsp;Mike Turner, R-Dayton, and&nbsp;John Garamendi, D-California, reintroduced the bill, called “Military Retiree Survivor Comfort Act,” late last week. Under&nbsp;Department of Defense&nbsp;policy, the final month’s retirement benefit of a deceased veteran may be refunded if the family fails to immediately notify the&nbsp;DoD&nbsp;of a veteran’s death, Turner noted in a joint release. “Military families in grieving should not be punished under heartless and unnecessary penalties,” Turner said. “Congressman Garamendi&nbsp;and I introduced the Military Retiree Survivor Comfort Act to fix this misguided policy. Military families deserve our respect, and our bipartisan bill will help these families avoid undue hardship during what is already a difficult time.” Military families are often unaware that the&nbsp;DoD’s&nbsp;Defense Finance and Accounting Service&nbsp;can electronically pull back overpayments without their consent, the congressmen said in their release. The bill would end the practice for any benefit paid in the month in which a veteran was alive for at least 24 hours. “This results in joint bank accounts being drained of funds and subject to overdraft fees, all while the family is still grieving from their loved one’s death,” they said. Kimberly Frisco, executive director of the&nbsp;Montgomery County Veterans Service Commission, said this is very much an issue. Families of veterans can find themselves dealing with grief and a loss of income simultaneously. Frisco said she has seen individuals come in for emergency financial help in these and similar situations. “The last month they’re alive, they (the&nbsp;DoD&nbsp;and the&nbsp;Defense Finance and Accounting Service) can take back that retiree’s pay,” she said. “It can leave the family in a lurch.” Military families should compile a list of numbers they need to call when a loved veteran dies, such as DFAS and&nbsp;Veterans Affairs, she suggested. “The stress and grief of just making plans and final arrangements for your loved one is just overwhelming,” Frisco said. “Sometimes they may not know where to go to do that.” “This is a terrible practice,” Turner said in an interview with the&nbsp;Dayton Daily News&nbsp;on Monday. “While people are mourning the loss of their loved one … they end up in a financial crisis made by the&nbsp;DoD&nbsp;and actually reaching in to their checking account. People need security more than anything when they’re mourning the loss of a loved one.” He said he doesn’t know how often such claw-backs occur. “Every time it happens, it’s a tragedy.” A similar piece of legislation was introduced in early 2019 in a previous session of&nbsp;Congress, but that bill did not receive a vote, according to GovTrack. Garamendi is chairman of the&nbsp;House Armed Services Subcommittee&nbsp;on Readiness. Turner, also an&nbsp;Armed Services Committee&nbsp;member, cosponsored this legislation in 2019. A spokeswoman for the&nbsp;Department of Veterans Affairs&nbsp;said the&nbsp;VA&nbsp;does not comment on pending legislation. To report a relative’s death to DFAS, family members may go to:&nbsp; ___ (c) 2021 the Dayton Daily News Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Copyright 2021 - American Military News All Rights Reserved ﻿

Navigation This file photo shows, US flags are planted at grave sites at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA, in 2019, ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie wouldn't commit to removing three headstones containing swastikas and messages honoring Adolf Hitler from the graves of German prisoners of war on Thursday, May 28, 2020. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images/TNS) New federal bipartisan legislation aims to prohibit the&nbsp;U.S. Department of Defense&nbsp;from clawing back or recouping some final retirement payments from veterans after they die....

Bill aims to end 'terrible practice' that hits late veterans' accounts

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