Posted on Sep 19, 2024
SPC Jared Robbins
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After four years of being out of the military, I look at my credit report and suddenly see that there is a DFAS balance of about $2900, stemming from when they advanced me funds to move across the country when I got out. DFAS is telling me that I never filled out the 1351–2 and submitted that along with all of the ending documentation. I had no idea, but I know for a fact that I did submit all of the documents. They are requesting I fill out the form again and submit all the documents but, I’m pretty sure I don’t have the 1351–2 or any of my weight tickets anymore

I am unsure how to proceed, they are six months behind with their debt waivers, the minimum payments they want are almost $110 a month, so I’m not quite sure how to proceed. I guess I could try to replicate all of the information for the 1351–2 but, I’m not sure What to do here?
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Responses: 1
SSG Joseph Harris, PhD
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I can really relate to this and I wish you luck- especially if you have to deal with the VA Debt Management Center.

I was married for years with one dependent child (I’m a 100% S/C veteran). I got divorced in Aug 2019 and remarried 5 months later in the Philippines. I now had 2 dependent children.

So there was a 5 month gap were I was overpaid because I was unmarried. But surely, having 2 dependent children would eventually offset that small debt.

This was during Covid at the start. I scheduled and rescheduled appointments with the local VA to get help submitting the dependency documents to me added es to my compensation. For two years they rescheduled and/or cancelled every appointment. Covid. Office was closed. Travel was restricted, etc.

Eventually I got an appointment. By my calculations, the VA owed me about $7000 in retroactive dependency compensation.

I was shocked when the VA’s VSO told me after waiting for 2 years for our appointment that I should simply submit all the paperwork online- easy! I waited 2 years just to be told to submit it online. Unbelievable.
I awaited the response and to see how much they would reimburse me for retroactive pay. The answer…. Zero. Instead they claimed I owed them $8000 because I did not submit the paperwork in a timely manner. When I appealed, they added another $5000 to my debt- questioning g whether my original dependent (stepdaughter had lived with me from 2015-2019)! Of course she did! Where else would the child live?

I cannot get help from anyone either this matter. My requests for help go unanswered. They now take hundreds out of my compensation monthly.

What does this have with your situation? My advice and warning is simply to always reap wins to any documentation the VA sends you. Submit what you can and keep copies. Get a VSO to help you. Do everything you can to handle this. I expected the VA to be understanding. It was only a 5 month gap of being unmarried and it was during the worst of Covid in the Philippines. What I feel is that the VA took advantage of this situation to create a debt as large as possible. It’s now around $13k! Think about that…. For delaying submitting paperwork during Covid.
Good luck and please be on top of your paperwork. Don’t expect any extra consideration because it was 4 yrs ago. Instead they may use that 4 yrs against you.
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SPC Jared Robbins
SPC Jared Robbins
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Thank you SSG, fortunately, I’m not so much dealing with the VA as I am just dealing with DFAS and the travel system, it’s essentially to a point now where they are just claiming I didn’t submit the correct way in and way out tickets, but I know that I did. It’s like one thing just keeps being a problem after another.
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