VA tells dying Vietnam vet he owes $6,300 in pension overpayments
VA tells dying Vietnam vet he owes $6,300 in pension overpayments
The Department of Veterans Affairs wants a dying Vietnam vet in Washington state to repay $6,300 in pension benefits even though its paperwork backlog was responsible for the overpayments.
Rob Arthur, 68, tells The Seattle Times hes okay with the loss of his $1,000-a-month pension, but he shouldnt have to pay back what the VA says he now owes. His wife agrees.
They are mental abusers right now, is the way I look at it, Debbie Shafer told the paper Thursday. And thats not a kind way to look at your government. We got knocked down, and now they are stomping on us. We dont have the money to pay them.
Arthurs troubles with the VA started in January when he was diagnosed with brain cancer deemed terminal and married Shafer, his long-time girlfriend. They live in a trailer in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains.
Arthur notified the VA his marital status had changed along with his income. Shafer makes $22,000-a-year as a nurses aide.
It took six months for Arthur to hear back from the VA. The news was not good. The VA ruled he was no longer eligible for a pension because of the bump in income and would have to repay the benefits he received from January to June while his paperwork was being processed.
Arthur is now requesting a hardship exemption. We simply cannot afford to survive should we be held responsible for this, he told the VA.
The VA tells the Times federal law dictates their response.
Cases like this, it kind of breaks our heart, VA spokesman Randall Noller said. But we dont have the wiggle room.
Arthur was 17 when he joined the Navy in 1964 and then served on an aging destroyer that cruised off the coast of Vietnam. Years later, destitute and no longer eligible to work, he began collecting a VA pension.
Recently, Shafer sent the VA a $5 check to begin paying off the debt.
I dont have time for all this. I want to spend my time with Rob, she said. I want him to die in peace.
It took six months for Arthur to hear back from the VA. The news was not good. The VA ruled he was no longer eligible for a pension because of the bump in income and would have to repay the benefits he received from January to June while his paperwork was being processed.
This is such a pathetic mess. Cut the people some slack..
Gene,
I do believe that John is suggesting that someone who is rich, should give this poor vet the $100,00.
John, correct me if I am wrong (I'm sure that you will anyway)
At least that is how I am reading it.
Anyway, part of having civility on the site is asking for clarification, of which neither of you did.
Such a sad story. I can't believe this is the way we treat our vets.
It is a very sad story...there are Veterans that have to sleep in the streets...that should never happen!!
Really sorry to hear this, but it's not unusual. He is doing the right thing, send $5 a month to show that he is attempting to pay the money back.
Would be nice if some rich prick did pay it for him though.
It would be very nice...this couple is about as down as one can be....not to mention, he fought for our country..
this couple is about as down as one can be....(down)
Sorry, mother's little helper.
It wouldn't take a rich person to pay that $6,000 off. If the community had a fund raising event, it could be possible to get the money that way. We all could participate if we really wanted to do it. Certainly we could find 300 people who could give $20. Once the government received the money they could re-distribute to you know who.
A few months ago there was a gentleman here on the site who told me that the government takes good care of their veterans. Bull shit.
The really sad part to this is that it will cost VA at least half of the amount of the overpayment to collect.
This is one of the many reasons why for that lest five years, I've been urging young people NOT to join the US military... unless we are invaded by armed forces.
We need to do a better job of caring for your veterans.
Certainly, we owe them at least that much for their service.
Peace, Abundant Blessings And Long Overdue Justice and Compassion for the Best of Us.
Enoch.
And on another note this morning McCain cannot wait to send more money to the Ukraine.
What is wrong with these people who fund wars, send our troops to fight someone elses fight, and the refuse to help them out when they are in need.
I am writing my Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell about this.
Put your money where your mouth is. I'll put in the first$50.
Sorry, mother's little helper. Who??
Enoch... I completely agree.
Peace and Blessings to you!!
no dwon.
How about I double that. And I'm not a rich prick. As though you would have to be a prick to be rich. Sad as well the idea to have anything you have to be considered a prick. Although I may be a prick. Find 60 like that or just make an offer to settle for a lesser amount. That may be an option, but knowing the government, if he lives a year he die owning $7500 probably with penalties.
You might not like rock but the video tells the truth about what we are facing today. I have lost three friends to suicide that might have been helped if the VA wasn't so fucked. Every day Im seeing friends post on Facebook about their journeys with the VA. Some people say certain states are good and some just suck. It should be a gamble on what state you live in. Commenting on AEONPAX I don't mean any offense This is one of the many reasons why for that lest five years, I've been urging young people NOT to join the US military... unless we are invaded by armed forces." Im sorry but this is kind of a dumb reason not to join. The point in having a strong military is so no one invades us. If it was to happen at that point its too late to join up. For a basic trained marine infantrymen to be ready for combat it takes a minimum of five months of training. Im sorry just because the VA is fucked I wouldn't stay away from joining. So what do we do about the VA? Write your congressmen. Everyone talks about how they wish they could help out the vets with this problem but no one is willing to sit down and write a letter to their congressmen and tell them to stop padding their pockets and unfuck this stuff. The top picture is a comment from one of my senior Marines who took a piece of shranal to his brain from the roof of his mouth. Its pretty obvious that they are war time injuries, so why the fuck is he getting the run around.
...perhaps a pecker-wood on occasion, but not a prick.
Let'smake sure this guy is on the level. Too many BSstories out there.
Commenting on AEONPAX I don't mean any offense
None taken. However allow me to highlight one word in my statement;
The VAs inhumane treatment of our Vets is just one part of a far larger picture. Behold;
Im not going to get into the scandals involving the lies recruiters tell our young men and women to meet their quotas nor all the small print, roadblocks and hoops they will have to go through to get the benefits that were promised, only to have those same benefits slashed.
While I support women in the military, I need to point out to them that their greatest physical risks come not from an outside enemy but from within their own ranks, like getting raped.
Im not even going to mention that none of these cuts affect an already top heavy pentagon staff that are coddled with expensive perks and have guaranteed jobs for life in the military industrial complex for supporting their expensive programs.
Speaking of expensive, have you heard the one about the still nonoperational fighter jet program that has already cost one trillion dollars plus and is always being grounded but is still being fully supported?
I also am not going to get into the fact that men and women in the military will be told to fight in immoral wars such as in the invasion of Iraq, thrust into wars for the US corporations or to be used as mercenaries by the likes of Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States or maybe even Israel.
There are more reasons suffice to say this will do for now. I love my country and will die for it but NOT its government and corporate sponsors.
Thanks for your anecdotal opinions but if your reply was meant to defend the US military or change my mind, you have failed on both accounts.
I wouldn't be surprised if they did!
Clarification ... what a concept ! But you can't expect a psychotic who thinks he knows everything to do that ... at least that how he looks to me . The symptoms are ever present : don't ask questions ; don't answer questions ; never make requests , only demands . Ugh !