The Fair Treatment of Families of Veterans Act (H.R. 4087) is a straightforward bill, intended to provide relief to families of VA recipients who, months after losing a loved one, may learn they must repay certain benefits.
Congresswoman Mia Love presented her bill before a House Veterans Affairs subcommittee Wednesday.
“My bill is a simple fix to a problem that blindsides Veterans’ families across the nation. It can cause serious financial trouble for them, even as they’re grieving the loss of their loved one,” Rep. Love said.
Rep. Love added: “It happened to a constituent of mine, which is why I took immediate action to fix this oversight.”
Last year, a family in Rep. Love’s District received a letter 6 months after the death of the Veteran’s spouse, requiring them to repay money that had already been paid to the recipient’s care center. This bill was drafted to fix the problem they faced.
Highlights of The Fair Treatment of Families of Veterans Act include:
- Changing the date of benefit reduction or discontinuance.
- The effective date would be adjusted from “the last day of the month before…” to “the last day of the money during which” the death, marriage, or remarriage of the beneficiary occurs.
- Provides peace of mind and financial certainty.
- Helping families avoid unexpected burdensome expenses.
“We need to do what we can to avoid causing hardship for the families of these veterans,” Rep. Love said. “That’s part of keeping the promises we made to all veterans and their families.”