The Veterans Administration said it has a 99.8 percent accuracy rate when it comes to terminating benefits due to death,
The Washington Post reported.
Try telling that to 4,200 veterans who were mistakenly declared dead by the VA from 2011 to 2015.
"Clearly it's a growing problem," Rep. David Jolly, R-Florida, told the Post. "It's not an insignificant number."
The problem originated with the Social Security Administration, which has its own problems inaccurately declaring people dead, to the tune of 9,000 each year, the Post reported.
If the SSA declared a veteran dead, the VA then terminated benefits.
To correct the problem, the VA has vowed to institute a new procedure by sending a letter to confirm the "beneficiary's death from a survivor or request that the beneficiary contact VA to resume payments," acting VA benefits secretary Danny Pummill assured Jolly, reports the Post.
That guidance of verification was already given by the SSA but ignored by the VA, the Post reported.
"We simply cannot have men and women who have sacrificed for this country, see their rightful benefits wrongfully terminated because the VA mistakenly declares them dead," Jolly told the Post.
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