About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

HRD-84-15 1 (1984-02-27)

handle is hein.gao/gaobabngy0001 and id is 1 raw text is: COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES WASHINGTON D C 20648 February 27, 1984 B-213750 The Honorable G. V. Montgomery Chairman, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs 123553 The Honorable Alan K. Simpson Chairman, Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subject: The Congress Could Consider Changing the Effective Date Provision for VA Disability Pension Awards (GAO/HRD-84-15) As part of our oversight of the Veterans Administration's (VA's) benefit programs, we reviewed the effective date provi- sion of the non-service-connected disability pension program. (Our objectives, scope, and methodology are discussed in enc. I.) This provision permits pension awards to be made ret- roactively for up to 1 year from the date a veteran applies for these benefits, which are based on the veteran's financial need. Before 1974, disability pension awards became effective on the date of application. The effective date provision was amended, effective January 1, 1974, to alleviate the hardship involved when a veteran is unable to apply promptly for benefits because of his or her disability and to make this aspect of the program uniform with similar provisions of other VA disability and death benefit programs. Of an estimated $32.3 million VA paid under this provision during the 12 months ended June 30, 1983, we estimate that about $31.0 million was paid to veterans whose disabilities probably did not prevent them from promptly applying. While the provision is uniform with those of other VA dis- ability and death benefit programs, the Congress recently amended three other major federal programs that provide benefits to needy individuals to preclude awards from being made for periods before the application date for benefits. The stated congressional rationale for these changes was that benefits should not be provided before the individual recognizes a need for and requests assistance. The Congress may wish to maintain the uniformity among VA programs and not amend the effective (400490)

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most