WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) co-introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reimburses veterans for missed or underpaid GI Bill housing benefits. The legislation was introduced to address the VA’s failure to fully comply with updated Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates set by the Forever GI Bill.
The improper payments resulted from IT systems that had not been properly updated and lack of internal processes to get the VA the necessary information about payment rates. The Forever GI Bill directed VA to calculate BAH rates based on the zip code of where the student takes the majority of classes, rather than on the zip code in which the school’s main campus is located. This requirement, in addition to a realignment of VA and DOD housing allowance rates, led to delayed and improper payments for student veterans.
“Reports of veteran students receiving delayed or inadequate GI Bill payments are concerning, and this misstep should be corrected as soon as possible,” said Senator Tillis. “While the VA has already started taking important steps to address this ongoing issue, it is important for Congress to continue exercising rigorous oversight to ensure that all GI Bill beneficiaries are made whole.”
Joining Senator Tillis to introduce the legislation were Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jon Tester (D-MT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Jerry Moran (R-KS).
The bill would require the VA to:
Anyone requiring assistance with their GI Bill benefit or experiencing financial hardship due to a delay in payment are encouraged to contact the VA Education Call Center at 1-888-442-4551 or online at https://gibill.custhelp.va.gov/app/utils/login_form/redirect/ask. They may also contact Senator Tillis’ office at 919-856-4630 or at tillis.senate.gov and someone will assist them directly.
The improper payments resulted from IT systems that had not been properly updated and lack of internal processes to get the VA the necessary information about payment rates. The Forever GI Bill directed VA to calculate BAH rates based on the zip code of where the student takes the majority of classes, rather than on the zip code in which the school’s main campus is located. This requirement, in addition to a realignment of VA and DOD housing allowance rates, led to delayed and improper payments for student veterans.
“Reports of veteran students receiving delayed or inadequate GI Bill payments are concerning, and this misstep should be corrected as soon as possible,” said Senator Tillis. “While the VA has already started taking important steps to address this ongoing issue, it is important for Congress to continue exercising rigorous oversight to ensure that all GI Bill beneficiaries are made whole.”
Joining Senator Tillis to introduce the legislation were Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Jon Tester (D-MT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Jerry Moran (R-KS).
The bill would require the VA to:
- End improper payments as soon as possible;
- Establish a team of specialists who will be responsible to report to Congress a detailed plan to correct this error;
- Provide a report to Congress by July 2020 that identifies how many beneficiaries were impacted and to what extent, aggregated by state; and
- Certify the department is fully compliant with the law.
Anyone requiring assistance with their GI Bill benefit or experiencing financial hardship due to a delay in payment are encouraged to contact the VA Education Call Center at 1-888-442-4551 or online at https://gibill.custhelp.va.gov/app/utils/login_form/redirect/ask. They may also contact Senator Tillis’ office at 919-856-4630 or at tillis.senate.gov and someone will assist them directly.
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