A bipartisan bill signed by the president last month will ensure survivors don’t lose VA benefits if a veteran passes away before a fraud case is resolved.

The MOAA-supported Restoring Benefits to Defrauded Veterans Act (H.R. 4190) requires the VA to reimburse a veterans’ estate for benefits misused by a fiduciary should a veteran die before such payments are processed. A VA report from 2021 found more than 100 such cases from Jan. 1, 2018, through Sept. 30, 2019, and under previous law, survivors lost out on these repayments.

Veterans Benefits Administration personnel fielded more than 12,000 “allegations of misuse” during that period, per the report. The reimbursement process is prone to delays; the report highlighted one case where a beneficiary recouped more than $20,000 in misused funds after a 19-month wait.

“Today, countless families will be able to claim the money they’re due,” said Rep. David Trone (D-Md.), who co-sponsored the House legislation alongside Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.). “The passage of this bill into law is a reaffirmation of our commitment to protecting and honoring our veterans.”

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Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) sponsored their chamber’s version of the legislation.

The new law represents one of many ways MOAA seeks to protect members of the wider uniformed services committee from financial fraud. This includes work to combat VA “Claims Sharks” as well as frequent MOAA.org articles, a web series on scam avoidance, and recorded webinars (available to Premium and Life members):

• An Overview of Scams and Frauds
• Outsmart the Scammers: How to Spot and Avoid Financial Fraud
• Protecting Yourself From Cybercrime and Scams

Learn more about MOAA’s financial resources at this link.