VA: More than 4,200 people wrongfully declared dead, temporarily lost benefits

The Department of Veterans Affairs admitted it wrongfully declared thousands of veterans or their dependents dead, leaving those people temporarily without benefits.

The VA said it isn’t able to narrow down exactly what caused the mistakes in each case, but said it includes a combination of human and computer errors and incorrect data from other agencies.

Michael Lee is a disabled veteran who served in the Navy during Desert Storm and has now settled in Jacksonville.

Lee said he has been battling with the VA for years over benefits and knows firsthand how difficult it can be for families without it.

“We have homes to take care of,” Lee said. “We have cars we have to take care of. We have families to feed. You can’t imagine what those families are going through right now if that’s the only income that they have."

In a letter to Rep. David Jolly (R-Florida), the VA said more than 4,200 people wrongfully lost benefits over the last five years.

Jolly had requested a five-year report from the VA after discovering cases of mistaken deaths in his district in the greater Tampa Bay area.

Trending on ActionNewsJax.com:

• Clay County firefighter resigns during investigation into X-rated selfie
• Mother confessed in smothering death of 4-day-old infant, deputies say
• Woman says Clay County firefighter in X-rated selfie made unwanted advances toward her
• Worker robbed taking out trash behind St. Augustine Outlets
• Family said they complained for months about children living in filthy Jacksonville home

“When I called, the lady said, ‘Well our records show you’re deceased.’ I said, ‘No I’m not,’” veteran Michael Riecker said in December after his benefits were restored following an error by the VA.

The VA has been under fire for the last several years with complaints about long wait times for medical care and a backlog of complaints.

Lee said he hopes the department makes major changes to avoid putting any further burdens on the veterans it serves.

“This is something that should’ve been done years and years ago,” Lee said.

The VA said it has made changes to avoid wrongfully ending benefit payments.

It said it now requests confirmation of a death from a family member, and if it does not hear back, only then will it terminate payments.

Jolly said he will be asking the VA for a new report at the end of the year.

"If the VA’s new policy is indeed working, this problem should be eliminated," Jolly said in a statement. "If the problem persists, then Congress will demand further action."

Cox Media Group