For some student veterans who receive a housing allowance through their post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, the check is literally in the mail.
Department of Veterans Affairs officials on Friday said a glitch that caused payments to be delayed had been resolved sooner than they anticipated. Paper checks were expected to be mailed out to thousands of beneficiaries on Friday or Saturday. Those receiving electronic fund transfers directly into their bank accounts should have seen the deposit hit Friday night.
In an email, VA Press Secretary Terrence Hayes said the problem was discovered on March 30.
“We have notified the VA Inspector General of the situation and are currently conducting a root cause analysis, but this process failure will impact the timely delivery of the housing allowance scheduled for distribution on Friday, March 31, 2023,” he wrote.
The glitch raised the ire of two GOP congressmen on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
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In a joint statement issued Friday, HVAC Chairman Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.) and Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Chairman Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) noted that Congress has invested tens of millions of dollars in updating VA’s information technology systems, which leaves no excuse for delays in payments to occur.
“There is also absolutely no excuse for the unreasonable delay in informing affected student veterans of this situation,” the statement continues. “The recipients of these education benefits are adults who have served our country, and at the very least, deserve adequate time to make arrangements to deal with the slew of problems that can arise from not having the money to pay your bills on time.”
Hayes added that VA is mindful of the stress the snafu might create for its student veterans and their families.
“VA is preparing electronic communications to inform veterans and provide them with a letter, which they can share with their creditors in the event this delay impacts their ability to meet personal financial obligations,” he continued.
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VA is also contacting schools to ensure they are aware of the situation and are prepared to provide any additional support that may be needed, Hayes said.
In a joint statement, Ranking HVAC Member Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) and Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Ranking Member Rep. Mike Levin (D-Calif.) called any delay in GI bill benefit distribution for veterans both disappointing and incredibly concerning.
“However, we are confident VA has taken steps to quickly address the issue for those veterans who will remain without their disbursements,” they said. “Already, VA has worked to resolve 280,000 of the transactions, leaving about 400 remaining.”
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The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides up to 36 months of tuition, In addition to providing a monthly living stipend and other benefits to veterans or their beneficiaries, the Post-9/11 GI Bill covers up to 36 months of tuition.
Veterans seeking clarification about the impact of this delay can contact VA's Education and Training call center by calling 888-GIBILL-1.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.