A sampling of disability claims filed under the 2022 PACT Act found that roughly one-quarter listed incorrect start dates, resulting in improper payouts of about $6.8 million to some veterans and shortchanging an estimated 2,300 others, the Department of Veterans Affairs' internal watchdog found.
In a report released Tuesday, the Veterans Affairs Officer of Inspector General concluded that the legislation's complexity, along with inadequate guidance from the Veterans Benefits Administration, led claims adjudicators to assign the wrong "effective date" to an estimated 26,000 claims, resulting in overpayment by the government in the first year of the legislation.
An estimated 2,300 additional claims had erroneous dates -- including some that should have been made retroactive to a date before the law was signed, increasing compensation for veterans -- but the watchdog agency said it "could not determine their monetary impact" on any affected veterans.
