The Department of Veterans Affairs has clawed back billions of dollars that countless veterans were given as incentives to leave the military, including when it needed to downsize, according to new data obtained by NBC News.
Disabled veterans have been told in the last 12 fiscal years to return nearly $3 billion in special separation pay — lump-sum incentives that were offered when the U.S. had to reduce its active-duty force or release slightly injured service members, the data shows.
The justification of the recoupment rule carried over in the 1990s when other forms of special separation payments — unrelated to disabilities — were authorized.
Those payments, including the Special Separation Benefit (SSB), were designed instead to help the Defense Department manage its force size.
He was told to pay back the money in 2017 after he filed for VA disability for PTSD and other conditions.
Persons:
”, Damon Bird, “, ” Salahudin Majeed, Bird, Salahudin Majeed, ” Majeed, ‘, ’ ” Majeed, —, ” Marquis Barefield, Marquis Barefield, ” Barefield, John Colage, Terrence Hayes, Hayes, Colage, ” Colage, Domenick Fini, Denis McDonough’s, Majeed, recoupment, Ruben Gallego, Gallego
Organizations:
of Veterans Affairs, NBC News, Disabled, NBC, Army, ” Army, Congressional Research Service, Defense Department, DAV, American Veterans, ” Navy, U.S ., Appeals, Veterans, Veterans ’ Appeals, RAND Corporation
Locations:
U.S, —, Haslet , Texas, USS Iowa, Missouri, Texas, Iraq
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