Financial concerns can be a terrible burden on top of an already stressful situation for a newly widowed spouse. When they discover the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) may take part or all of a servicemember’s last retirement check back, it can be overwhelming.

[TAKE ACTION: Ask Your Lawmaker to Support the Military Retiree Survivor Comfort Act]

The Military Retiree Survivor Comfort Act (H.R. 2214 and S.1669) will allow survivors to gradually repay the amount over the next 12 months and have an opportunity to request for debt forgiveness through DoD.

Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) recently submitted the Military Survivor Comfort Act as a Senate Amendment (SA 3882) for consideration in the FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

“Too many surviving spouses are financially caught off guard when their servicemember passes,” said Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins, USAF (Ret), president and CEO of MOAA. “DFAS recoupment of the last paycheck can empty a banking account for a grieving survivor. MOAA strongly supports Senators Portman and Warren’s introduction of the Military Survivor Comfort Act that will ease the financial burden with a gradual repayment and option to appeal for debt forgiveness.”

[MORE NDAA AMENDMENT NEWS: Concurrent Receipt | Arlington National Cemetery Burial Eligibility]

In support of our survivor community, The Military Coalition (TMC), a group of organizations including MOAA that represent nearly 5.5 million members of the uniformed services community, sent a letter to Portman and Warren earlier this year in support of the legislation.

Senate NDAA amendments will be considered very soon. Because time is short, call (866) 272-MOAA (6622), MOAA's toll-free line to the U.S. Capitol switchboard, to be connected with your senators’ offices and ask them to support SA 3882, the Military Retiree Survivor Comfort Act.

You can follow further updates on MOAA’s advocacy mission at MOAA.org/advocacy-news.