Post 9/11 GI Bill Emergency Payment Recall

February 28, 2010

In October 2009, following the Department of Veterans Affairs' inability to remit benefits, they announced they would send out emergency payments of $3000 to any veteran who hadn't received benefits. I applied for, and received, that $3000 advance.

Now, they want the whole thing back. Luckily, I didn't spend any of it because I didn't need the money to survive, but there are very many veterans who did.

Here is my response:

Department of Veterans Affairs

Debt Management Center

Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building

PO Box 11930

St. Paul, MN 55111-0930

In October 2009, I qualified for and received the $3000 advance payment for the Post 9/11 GI Bill. I received a $200.02 payment on 21 Dec 2009. Neither my school nor I received any other payments from the VA during the Fall 2009 semester, despite the fact that my school’s VA representative submitted my enrollment certification in July 2009. To date, those are the only benefits remitted by the VA for my Fall 2009 semester. In summary, my school did not receive a tuition payment for Fall 2009, and I did not receive any monthly payments for August, September, October, and November 2009.

Today, I received notice that I was paid $3000 more than I was entitled to receive, and I am expected to pay back $3000. I dispute that amount. I was surely entitled to more than $200.02 during the entire Fall 2009 semester, correct? Before I pay any supposed debts, I need to see my total entitled benefits compared to the benefits I actually received.

While you are putting those numbers together, send me my total entitled benefits for the Spring 2010 semester, because I have not been getting full payments this semester, either.

When you respond, please answer this also: If the VA can be this efficient at attempting to collect perceived debts, why can they not be equally adept at remitting benefits?

cc:

Congressman Gresham Barrett

115 Enterprise Court, Suite B

Greenwood, SC 29649

Senator Jim DeMint

105 North Spring St.

Suite 109

Greenville, SC 29601

Senator Lindsey Graham

130 South Main St.

7th floor

Greenville, SC 29601

I'll be sure to post updates if I hear from any of the Congressmen or the VA.



Lindsey Graham followed up on this. A couple of days later, Jim DeMint offered assistance, too, but I'll go with Lindsey Graham's help and avoid redundancy.

...still no word from Governor Barrett...