As a veteran or military service member, you can access these benefits by checking your VA debt balance online:
DS Logon, My HealtheVet, or ID.me credentials are required to log in. Create a new account if you don’t already have one.
As of right now, the status of VA debt can’t be checked online by spouses and dependents of Veterans or service members.
- Call our Debt Management Center at 800-827-0648 if you have any VA benefit debts (or 1-612-713-6415 from overseas). Every day from 7:30 am to 7 pm Eastern Standard Time, we’re here to assist you.
- Call our Health Resource Center at 866-400-1238 or 800-698-2411 for help with VA health care copay debt. To get in touch with us, we’re open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time (ET).
Can I view my VA bill online?
When communicating with a virtual assistant, do you wish to save time? You can do it now. Veterans now have easy online access to their patient billing statements thanks to AccessVA, a new online service.
Veterans who get non-service-connected care at a VA health care facility and may incur a VA copayment will benefit from the new feature (Veterans are not billed for service-connected care.).
Veterans can go to AccessVA and click on Veteran Patient Statement to access the patient statement online. DS Logon, ID.me or MyHealtheVet Premium (MVH) Premium can then be used to log in to the service.
The patient billing statement can be viewed, downloaded, and printed by Veterans from that point on. It is possible for a Veteran to examine and print a copy of their VA medical facility billing statement if they have it handy. A drop-down menu appears on the display when more than one statement is available for viewing.
Managing your care
Using this new technology, Veterans will be able to better manage their health care, and it highlights how the VA is using technology to help Veterans have more access to their medical information. For the next six months, VA will continue to mail physical bills in addition to the ones available online.
Will the VA waive my debt?
A waiver signifies that we have agreed to cancel (or “waive”) a debt owed to the Veterans Administration. If you are unable to pay back your entire debt, even with lesser monthly installments, you may be eligible for a waiver. We may be able to waive some or all of a Veterans Administration (VA) obligation.
In the event that we grant your waiver request, you will not be required to pay back the amount that we agree to waive.
In the event that we waive an education benefit debt and you have remaining entitlement, we will reduce the amount of your remaining entitlement as a result.
What happens if I don’t pay the VA back?
Sometimes, the VA sends a letter informing people of debts they have accrued, such as overpayments or underpayments. The term “overpayment” refers to a situation in which you receive money that you are not entitled to. Let me explain why this might happen and how to deal with it.
To begin, you must notify the appropriate party as soon as you become aware of an overpayment.
The VA may make mistakes that lead to overpayments.
They could have overpaid you or forgotten to amend your marital status, for example.
Overpayments and/or termination of benefits might result if you purposefully provide the VA with inaccurate information or fail to disclose changes.
An arrest warrant is issued or you are arrested while receiving VA compensation or pension benefits, and you are not eligible to receive your money.
It is your responsibility to notify the VA immediately if a warrant has been issued against you so that you are not overpaid.
There are consequences if you continue to get this money while a warrant or incarceration is in effect; you must return the VA.
You must notify the VA if you were previously married and received money on behalf of your spouse, and you have since divorced.
Even if you’re being paid for stepchildren and you get divorced and the kids move out, this applies.
You may be overpaid for educational assistance.
If you fall behind on your mortgage payments, you may owe money that you don’t have.
Many methods are available to the VA to recover these overpayments.
They have the option of withholding a single payment or a full month’s worth.
If you can’t make ends meet without your monthly payment, you can request a waiver from the VA, which will allow them to deduct lower installments until the full amount is paid back.
The VA has the option to withhold future benefits or turn this over to a debt collection firm.
Wage garnishments and lawsuits in federal court are other options available to the VA.
They also have the authority to refuse to approve a VA mortgage loan.
The VA may also withhold Social Security benefits if you are a recipient.
The most important thing to remember when it comes to VA benefits is to keep the VA informed of any and all changes to your dependents’ and your own income.
You should contact the VA immediately if your payments alter or if you have any queries about them.
You don’t want to put yourself in the position of having to pay the Veterans Administration.
Remember that if you do end up having to pay the VA, they are more than happy to work out a payment plan with you. One way or another, they’ll get their money back from this.
Jan Dils Attorneys at Law can be reached at any time to provide assistance or answer any of your inquiries. We have the people, expertise, and tools to assist you collect the compensation you are due.
What is VA benefit debt?
Essentially, the VA owes the veteran money because of an overpayment committed by the VA. Payments given to a veteran by the VA that were in excess of what should have been paid result in a debt to that veteran. An overpayment is a term used to describe this debt. There are a number of options available to a veteran who is dealing with an overpayment issue. Included here are:
- There is a process for appealing a refusal of a waiver or a veteran’s challenge to its validity/amount if the VA declines the waiver request.
The VA must notify a veteran of an alleged overpayment in writing. All of the following must be included:
- How and why you owe more than you should (It is imperative that this is communicated in plain and obvious terms.)
- The veteran should be made aware of the various options available to him or her for repaying the VA for the debt he or she has accrued.
How can I check upcoming VA payments?
We’d like to make sure you have all the facts about the VA benefits you’ve been receiving.
Benefits for veterans’ education, training, pensions, and death benefits are all given out on a monthly basis. Benefits are typically paid on the first of the following month’s business day. A month’s VA benefits are paid on the final business day prior to the month’s first business day if that day is a non-business or holiday.
The following is a list of upcoming VA benefit payments and when they will be made:
Visit www.eBenefits.va.gov to view the most recent status of your VA benefit payments. It would be great if you could forward this information to a friend or family member who does receive VA benefits. We really hope that this data has been helpful to you.
How do you pay your VA bill online?
Veterans can now settle their VA debts from the comfort of their own home, without having to write checks or drive to the VA.
Your VA health care and medication copayments can be paid securely, quickly, and easily with Pay.Gov. The number of Veterans using this service is steadily increasing.
Fill out the form and submit it. The account number on your VA bill must be entered precisely as it appears. Continue by pressing the Continue button.
To make a purchase, you’ll need to provide a credit card, debit card, checking account, or savings account number. Click Add money to your account
Pay.Gov allows veterans to set up recurring payments for a fixed amount each month. As long as a veteran has an existing Pay.gov account, they can change or discontinue recurring payments at any time. By midnight on the same business day that the payment was made, credit card payments must be canceled.
You can make a one-time payment or set up monthly payments by calling 1-888-827-4817, or you can do it yourself.
Can the VA take back money?
For a variety of reasons, you may be overpaid for VA benefits, and those reasons can vary based on the kind of the benefits you are receiving. As soon as one thinks of overpayment, the GI Bill comes to mind. However, it’s not the only scenario that could lead to a veteran being overpaid. They consist of:
- “Without good reason,” a Veteran who was helped by the Veterans Rehabilitation program drops out of the program.
- Non-disclosure of a change in income by Veterans Affairs (VA) pension recipients
And, certainly, the GI Bill can lead to overpayments in some circumstances. Included are:
- Alternatively, cutting back on class time once funds have been made
The Post 9/11 GI Bill’s housing stipend and the books/supplies stipend might be affected by changes in a student’s credit hours.
When a veteran’s schedule or status as a student changes, the school’s certifying official usually notifies the VA. When this occurs, the VA records the overpayment and notifies the student via email of the resulting debt owed to the VA.
Even if a school gives a refund in accordance with its established policies, if the amount paid by the school does not satisfy the student’s indebtedness to the VA, the student is liable for paying the difference. The VA official site reminds. The VA’s official website instructs students to “settle the debt with us” if the school refunds money to them directly.
How Does The VA Know?
The Department of Veterans Affairs is informed of GI Bill overpayments by the school. Other than that, what’s the situation like? How does the Department of Veterans Affairs know that a school-age dependent child of a veteran has wed? Is there anything else that could lead to overpayments?
When the VA receives information from other federal agencies, it may be because it has a better understanding of the problem.
When a change in legal status is recorded by a federal agency (tax information, name changes, etc.), it may one day reach the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
When a veteran fails to notify the VA of changes that could affect their benefit payments, it is likely that a VA debt management letter will be sent to them in the near future.
What To Do If You Get A Debt Management Letter From The VA
The VA Debt Management Center should be contacted as soon as possible by anyone who receive VA benefits and have received a debt management letter. VA debt collection and management services are provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs through this center on a regular basis.
What Happens If I Don’t Respond To A VA Debt Management Letter?
You have 60 days to respond to the Debt Management Letter if you believe you were overpaid by the VA. The debt is transferred to the VA Debt Management Center after 60 days, and the VA informs the veteran of the agency’s plans to collect the money owed to them.
How The VA Collects Debts
As a result of the debt, you may lose some of your benefits until it is paid in full. There is an option to contact the VA Debt Management Center to set up a payment plan, however the VA advises that outstanding VA debt is transferred to the US Treasury Department for what the VA describes, a collection agency’s collection “Forcible snatching
If a borrower qualifies for a waiver, some VA debt may be eliminated. Although this is not always possible, don’t rule out the possibility that you may be eligible for a waiver. Get help through the Veterans Administration’s Debt Management Center or a Veterans Service Organization (VSO). In the event of an emergency, the Veterans Administration recommends that you seek immediate medical attention “In the event of “intentional fraud,” a waiver is not feasible.
What If I Need To Dispute A VA Debt?
You have 60 days from the date you get a debt letter from the VA to reply to it. A Notice Of Disagreement must be filed with the Department of Veterans Affairs within 60 days of the date of the determination to collect the debt.
This notice must be accompanied by any information or paperwork that supports your claim. It’s preferable to provide as much information as possible in your notification. Don’t make the mistake of filing a dispute without providing proof to support your position. No two cases are alike, therefore call 1-800 727-1000 for help with the specifics of your VA debt, as no two cases are alike.
Using Other Benefits
Even though you owe money to a current VA benefit program, you are not barred from using other VA benefit programs that you may be eligible for. When a repayment plan is in place, the Department of Veterans Affairs notes that only the debt associated with that specific benefit is eligible for the plan.
VA website: “Once you elect to receive benefits under another program, the debt will be recouped from your last payment under current benefit program, up to the full amount of your last payment.”
There is no need to make any more payments, “unless an amount less than the last payment is sufficient to discharge the debt in full.”
“We will transfer the remaining amount of the debt to the new benefit program and the payments under the new benefit program will be lowered until the debt is paid in full,” said the VA.
What is a VA overpayment?
In the event that a Veteran is overpaid by the Department of Veterans Affairs, he or she is responsible for reimbursing the VA for the overpayment. In many cases, this occurs as a result of a Veteran being tardy with paperwork or failing to keep their records up to date.
Is the VA collecting debts?
Officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs said on Oct. 4 that they will resume collecting debts from overpaid veterans, ending a nearly 18-month moratorium of debt collection put in place due of the COVID-19 outbreak.
As a consequence of an executive order signed by then-President Trump on April 6, 2020, all debt collection by the VA has been halted. President Joe Biden extended the prohibition until September 30, 2021.
How can I get rid of my VA debt?
The first step is to contact the Veterans Administration to discuss your situation. To complete the transaction, you can use your debit card or an automated clearing house (ACH) withdrawal to make a payment online.
Use the Pay Online page for this but do not use it for medical co-pays. Pay.gov is the preferred method for making medical co-payments, according to the Veterans Administration.
If you’d prefer, you can send your payment by check or money order. For each debt payment, the VA requires a new check, and the payment stub provided in the VA collection letter must be sent (you should get a different collection letter for each category of debt owed, where applicable).
It’s recommended by the Veterans Administration that “if you prefer to send us one check for numerous debts, please include separate payment remittance statements for each one.”
For the Department of Veterans Affairs, please submit any checks to:
Before You Pay
In rare situations, the VA may be able to reduce your monthly payment until your debt is paid in full. Because debit card or ACH withdrawal payments may be a duplicate payment if this is the case in your instance, it is imperative that you find out if this is an issue for you. To avoid paying twice, it’s preferable to contact the VA directly to explain your issue.
For people who plan to pay off their full debt at once, the VA recommends the same strategy. Contacting the VA Debt Management Center is similar to contacting your lender for an early payback amount under the terms of a loan contract.
Call the VA Debt Management Center at 1-800-827-0648 (1-612-713-6415) to find out the total amount owed and how much time is left to pay it off.
What To Do If You Cannot Pay
The most important thing to do before missing or skipping a payment is to contact the Veterans Administration. Consider negotiating for a payment reduction, compromise, or even a change to an existing repayment schedule.
VA debt waiver requests must be submitted in writing and include an explanation of “why you feel you should not be held liable for payment of the obligation or why collection of the debt would be unreasonable and create a financial hardship,” as stated on the VA official site. A Financial Status Report form must be completed and signed, and the completed form and letter should be sent to:
Did you know that in addition to requesting a waiver, you have the option of requesting an oral hearing? You can provide evidence to back up your claim if you choose this route. You must include a request for a hearing in your request.
Make A Compromise Offer
The VA authorizes anyone who owe money to the government to make a compromise offer. Like the payment waiver option, you must contact the VA Debt Management Center to apply with the following required documentation:
- The necessity of making a compromise offer as a result of specific circumstances, as explained in writing.
Don’t send money until you’ve received confirmation that your compromise offer has been accepted by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA’s Committee on Waivers and Compromises must first approve it. Once a decision has been made, you will be contacted and asked to pay the agreed-upon payment within 30 days.
Contact The VA Debt Management Center To Resolve Your Debt
When the VA Debt Management Center is open, you can contact 1-800-827-0648 to reach a representative. The VA Debt Management Center can be reached at 1-1-612-713-6415 for international callers.
Contacting the VA Debt Management Center online is also possible, via a submission form.
What is a VA hardship?
“For the purposes of expediting your VA disability claim, “financial hardship” means that you, the veteran, are unable to make enough income to pay for critical obligations like housing payments or medical expenses related to your disability, such as medication. Only a significant financial hardship will suffice for the VA “This is a really exceptional case.” If you are facing eviction or foreclosure, needing to declare bankruptcy, or having your utilities shut off, you may be eligible for accelerated treatment of your disability claim.
Can I still use my GI Bill if I owe the VA money?
Washington, D.C., is where the action is. There have been protests from higher education organisations about the Veterans Affairs Department’s plans to cut back on Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition payments for veterans with outstanding bills.
Recipients of post-9/11 GI Bill advances and other VA benefits for housing and medical expenditures may have future aid withdrawn to settle their debts to the department. This includes those who owe money from other VA benefit programs for housing and medical expenses.
It has been immune from this withholding since the Post-9/11 GI Bill began to distribute educational benefits. In December, the Department of Veterans Affairs discreetly announced that it will continue withholding veterans’ tuition and fee payments for delinquent obligations.
To Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, the higher education associations wrote a strongly worded letter on Monday warning that the new policy could have ‘unintended consequences’ and ‘violates the faith and intent of the enrollment certification process,’ where a veteran enrolls in college assuming the Post-9/11 GI Bill will cover the costs.
“A joint letter signed by the major associations representing both public and nonprofit higher education states that “we fully recognize the fiduciary responsibility VA must uphold in collecting any non-tax debts owed to the federal government by recipients of VA benefits,” says John Walda, president and CEO of the National Association of College and University Business Officers. “It’s important to note that the proposed policy puts an undue emphasis on the federal government’s relationship with colleges and institutions in providing educational opportunities for our nation’s veterans.
Students who are using the GI Bill to pay for college can enroll and begin school before their payments arrive. According to NACUBO’s VP for regulatory affairs, Anne Gross, those payments may not be enough to cover the cost of attendance if they are docked to pay off past obligations.
As a result, the universities become debt collectors in their own right: while the Department of Veterans Affairs has been reimbursed, the veteran now owes the same sum to the college or university that he or she is attending. A common effect of this uncertainty is that many veterans don’t understand why they didn’t receive the entire cost of tuition and fees in benefits, Gross said.
“The school had no idea they owed the VA money instead of the VA owing them money,” she said.
According to the groups’ letter, veterans who owe back tuition to colleges typically cannot register for another term, putting their educational progress at risk.
The Veterans Affairs (VA) routinely withholds benefit payments for debt collection. It wasn’t an issue before the Post-9/11 GI Bill because the payments for educational benefits were made directly by veterans to their institutions, not the colleges themselves, Gross explained. In 2009, when the bill was first implemented, educational benefits were exempt from the program’s initial challenges in processing benefits.
Even more problematic is the fact that colleges and universities don’t know if veterans have outstanding debts to the VAand thus won’t get a payment to cover all tuition and feesuntil the benefit checks arrive, so the financial aid office cannot advise them to take out loans or seek other financial aid to cover the rest of the costs.
Associations of colleges have asked for a system to check on veterans’ eligibility for benefits, overpayment amounts, and other factors that could affect the amount of aid they receive in addition to urging the department to keep educational benefits exempt from debt collectors
Colleges will not be alerted that payments are being withheld under the new scheme, the groups said, saying that the approach will lead to college students being defrauded “Colleges, students, and the department have been inundated with requests for information.
“Confusion reigned” when tuition payments may be offset, they said.
