WASHINGTON -- More than 12,000 veterans nationwide didn't receive their full disability benefit check heading into the holiday weekend because of a computer glitch, U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin said Friday.
Late Friday, it was not clear how many Arkansas veterans were affected or how much money they were shorted. Griffin, a Republican from Little Rock, said he became aware of the problem when two veterans contacted his office Friday.
Calls to the North Little Rock Regional Benefit office and the federal Veterans Affairs Benefits office were not immediately returned. Federal government offices are closed Monday for Labor Day.
According to the VA website, 3.5 million veterans received disability benefits in 2012, the most recent data available. The VA estimates there were more than 250,000 Arkansas veterans in 2012.
Affected veterans should receive the money they are owed early next week, Griffin said.
An email from the VA to Griffin's office explained the problem as "a programming error."
Griffin said it has been explained to him that veterans who have the money they owe to the government pulled out of their disability benefits received a check equal to the amount that should have been pulled out of the check.
For example, a veteran who owes $50 to a veterans hospital and has that money taken out of a $550 disability benefit check only received $50 Friday instead of $500.
"That's not an insignificant amount of money," Griffin said. "When people don't get their payments, a lot of people are seriously affected."
Griffin said he wavered on whether to publicize the problem until more details were known because he didn't want to alarm people unnecessarily, but he wanted veterans who have discovered the error to know that the VA is trying to fix it.
"This is important information for people who count on this money who may not have it all," Griffin said. "I don't think we ought to inappropriately alarm people. It is unfortunate that it occurred, and it's going to put some people in a bind. People aren't going to be able to reach probably any government for the next three days."
Griffin said that veterans in the 2nd District who have been shorted or who have concerns should contact his office at (501) 324-5941 or by emailing him using the form at griffin.house.gov/contact-me/email-me
He said his staff will check messages over the weekend but will not be able to contact federal offices until after Labor Day.
Metro on 08/30/2014