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Congress works to protect vulnerable veterans benefits from criminal misuse

The Veterans Administration Fiduciary Program oversees disbursement of benefits for 67,000 vets.

WASHINGTON — Congress is working to protect veterans' benefits from unscrupulous individuals.

At issue are the most vulnerable vets: 67,000 of them require financial supervision or a "fiduciary."

Members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs on Thursday heard about some fiduciaries who criminally misuse Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) funds.

"Given VA's commitment to serving vulnerable veterans and the large amount of money dispersed by the fiduciary program, the need for effective oversight is vitally important. Our recent reviews have found gaps in the VBA's program and internal oversight processes," said Lisa Van Haeren, Director of the VA Office of Inspector General's Claims and Fiduciary Inspection Division.

A VA Inspector General report in August found that some veterans' heirs had to wait from nine months to 19 years for benefits to be properly disbursed.

Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas), Chairman of the subcommittee said: "A program of this size requires effective oversight to ensure that beneficiaries are being taken care of, especially because these beneficiaries are typically the nation's most vulnerable veterans."

The last time the subcommittee looked at this program was in 2015.

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