11.19.18

Enzi Presses Veterans Affairs for Answers on Problems with GI Benefits

WASHINGTON D.C. – After recent reports that the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) information technology (IT) systems have prevented thousands of veterans from receiving their full GI Bill benefits, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi (R-WY) pressed the agency on what actions it was taking to address this significant problem.  Since August 1, hundreds of thousands of veterans have either not received their monthly housing allowance for the fall 2018 semester or received an incorrect amount. 

“These problems have forced our veterans to go without money to pay for basic necessities like food and rent, with some facing potential eviction or the prospect of getting kicked out of school,” said Chairman Enzi.  “They deserve better.”  

Chairman Enzi is seeking information on how much money the VA has spent to address this IT system failure and the number of employees working to address this problem. He would also like to know the current status of the IT upgrades and if these systems will be upgraded in time for the spring semester. The Chairman would like to know how long will it take the VA to reimburse the veterans who did not receive their MHAs or received incorrect MHAs and how much the VA estimates it owes to student veterans affected by this issue.  Finally, he wants to know what steps the VA is taking to communicate with the veterans and schools affected by these delays.

Read Chairman Enzi’s letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs here.

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