From the Office of Congresswoman Mia Love
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mia Love seeks to Extend Veteran Benefits, end repayment requirement
(WASHINGTON) November 19, 2015 -- Representative Mia Love (UT-04) is proud to sponsor a new bill that would change a federal law that currently requires a Veteran’s family to repay benefits dispersed during the month of a recipient’s death. Currently, veterans benefits stop on “the last day of the month before” a Veteran dies. Love’s bill says benefits would extend to “the last day of the month during which” a Veteran dies.
“I feel this is just the right thing to do,” Congresswoman Love said. “Those families are entitled to those benefits, and it creates a real hardship to ask them to pay the Government money they thought was theirs on top of losing their loved one.”
For years, millions of Veterans’ families have been scrambling to find a way to return benefits that had been received while the entitled recipient was still living. The Fair Treatment for Families of Veterans Act would simply prevent the need to return benefits going forward. Instead of ending benefits the month before a death, they would end the month during which someone dies.
Recently, this unfortunate situation occurred in the 4th district when Shirley Foulger, who had been receiving benefits from the V.A. due to the military service her husband had rendered, died on December 29th. Six months following her death, her family received a letter ordering them to return benefits from December 1st-29th back to the V.A. In other words, the family of a now deceased payee was made to return benefits she had received while still living. KUTV assisted with her problem. Rep. Love’s bill will assist more vets around the nation.
Already, this bill has gathered wide-spread, bi-partisan support. 29 Representatives have signed on to co-sponsor the bill, including 16 Republicans and 13 Democrats.
