Posted on 05/29/2014 7:24:34 AM PDT by Fitzy_888
WATERVLIET – On this Memorial Day weekend, World War II veteran Joseph Teson is thinking about his fallen comrades – and his personal finances.
Teson, a D-Day survivor, told NewsChannel 13 the federal government has reduced his veterans benefits to just $6 per month in order to recoup an overpayment.
“I don’t know how they did it, but they did it,” Teson, 89, said Saturday. “I didn’t say nothing. I just let it go. Everybody else complained but me.”
Teson said he used to receive about $300.00 per month in veterans benefits, about a third of which he donated to a number of veterans groups.
Then, in 2013, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) notified Teson by mail that his “entitlement to compensation and pension benefits had changed,” resulting in an overpayment to him of $3,090.
“Since you are currently receiving VA benefits, we plan to withhold those benefits until the amount you were overpaid is recouped,” the VA said in a letter dated June 9, 2013.
Teson’s daughter, Tami, called the toll-free number listed on the letter. She said no one was able to explain how — or for how long — the overpayment occurred. And she said her father never noticed it.
Teson said the VA eventually reduced his monthly benefits to $6. He showed NewsChannel 13 several 2014 bank statements showing the single-digit deposits.
“They’re taking money from my father, and he deserves (the money),” said Teson’s son, Michael. “He fought in the war for it. They’re giving him $6 per month. He can’t live on that.”
Reached on Saturday evening, VA spokeswoman Meagan Lutz said the department wants to ensure that all veterans are receiving the benefits to which they are legally entitled.
“We are presently looking into the specifics of Mr. Teson’s case and will be reaching out to him to clarify the details of his changes in benefits,” Lutz said. “Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention.”
Lutz added that she is not aware of any widespread system error that would have caused a change in Teson’s benefits, or the overpayment on his account.
For now, Teson and his wife of 67 years, Rose, are getting by on pension and social security benefits, and help from their children. Teson is also selling his coin collection to make up the shortfall.
“What can I do?” he asked, referencing the VA. “They’re bigger than me, so I’ve got to go along with them.”
VETERAN PROFILE: JOSEPH TESON
Joseph Teson was born on February 11, 1925. Better known as Bob (his middle name) or “Teso,” he enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the age of 17 and served in World War II.
During the D-Day invasion of June 6, 1944, Teson served aboard a landing craft transporting ammunition, tanks, and troops to Omaha Beach and Utah Beach under heavy fire.
“It was no picnic,” Teson said, recalling the barrage of German gunfire. He spent the next four years in Europe, supporting Allied operations.
After returning home from the war, Teson worked at a block factory, a bakery, a radiator plant, and a car dealership before starting a 22-year career at the Watervliet Arsenal.
Teson worked from midnight to 8:00 a.m. at the Arsenal, then “daylighted” as a maintenance custodian at St. Brigid’s Church in Watervliet.
Teson also owned and operated two auto body shops. One of them, Schuyler Auto Body, is still in the family today. His son owns the business now.
He and Rose have seven children, 19 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren. One grandson, Jay, served in the Navy. A great-grandson, Nicholas, is currently serving in the Navy.
Teson’s uncle, Pat Simmons, was a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox during the 1928 and 1929 baseball seasons. During that time, Simmons introduced young Teson to Yankee great Babe Ruth.
Teson, no more than 5 years old, didn’t believe he was meeting the real Sultan of Swat. “I looked at him and said, ‘You’re not Babe Ruth, you son of a bitch,’” he recalled. Ruth doubled over with laughter.
The V.A. hit one of my buddies up (Vietnam vet) for 5,000. Something about when he started drawing S.S. his V.A. benefits dropped, or should have dropped.
Heck, maybe...I guess.
I tried to skim through that publication. I have no idea what I just read except I can understand how someone would not know they are getting too many benefits.
How would you know about this provision and then know you are getting too much money? Until after the fact?
$6 a month wasn’t even good money in 1945
It’s a complete and utter waste of money because their reasoning is if we give them money they will help us in the war against terror, but they don’t. In fact they do the exact opposite because they’re lowlife subhuman pieces of rat filth. I freakin’ hate Pakis, I really do, 10 years ago I use to drive a taxi in New York city in between jobs and the biggest pain in asses wasn’t the customers or the city, but the Pakistanis who would cut me off every 2 seconds to get a fare. I had one cut me off one time and drive me up on a sidewalk barely missing a man and his son, and then one time trying to pick up some people one cut me off, jumped out of his taxi and pulled a knife on me, and I chased him down the block with a baseball bat I had under the seat. They are just the biggest sc*mbags going, and we just let them flood the country. Oh yeah and the best was one time I was waiting on line at Penn Station to pick someone up and when I finally got to the front these customers got in and I went to pull out and this Paki cut in front of everybody, and pulled along side me so I couldn’t pull out and he told me he wouldn’t move until the customers that got in my car got in his. So I said OK fine, got out of the car and proceeded to let the air out of his tires, so he jumped out I jumped in his car pulled it down the block and took his keys, ran back to mine and took off LOL! I thought I was going to get arrested for theft or something but nothing ever happened. They are just completely out their minds freakin’ Pakis, I can’t stand those sick bastards. You read this from the other day???
Not only is she a relative but she was PREGNANT!
The Veterans Administration (VA), mismanagement has been increasing yearly. Most of the problems started during the Lyndon Johnson administration and have continued to worsen through subsequent Government administrations.
Born on the Fourth of July (2/9) Movie CLIP - Treated Like a Human Being (1989) HD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsRDr3miUyc
Unfortunate screwup, but I'd bet that there are few FReepers who, say, overpay three grand on their taxes then say "Meh, keep the change!" when the oversight is found. Or send in a few hundred extra on their power bills, or stick an extra zero or two on their grocery bill. And so on.
The VA has a Compensation program that pays benefits based on disease or injury resulting from events occurring during or because of active military service. It is highly unlikely that an overpayment of $3000 would ever be incurred under this program by an 80 year old veteran of WW II as benefits are protected from reduction after a certain number of years.
The VA also have a “Pension” program that pays benefits to veterans who served a minimum of 90 days during a wartime period if they are considered totally disabled and do not have an income or resources above certain specified limits. In effect, this is a special assistance program for low income individuals who were on active duty during specified wartime periods. While many recipients did have combat experience and/or long periods of service, eligibility is not dependent on that; they simply needed to be on active duty for 90 days. If they were injured during active service, they are compensated under the “Compensation” program.
The monthly pension payment is determined at the beginning of each calendar year based on anticipated income for that year as reported by the veteran. If at the end of the year, actual income was more or less than anticipated, an adjustment is made based on actual figures.
While I don’t know the facts of this case, I would suspect that this veteran was receiving benefits under the pension program and there was some unanticipated change in his income during the year. While it makes a good story, especially at this time, it is not an unusual occurrence.
My wife is affected by it. That’s why I’m quite familiar.
Believe me the Soc Sec folks will let you know.
They may be handing out billions in improper payments to illegals, but if you have a govt pension, you’ll find out real quick.
Here's an idea. If Social Security makes a mistake then don't penalize the recipient. If I game the system and get caught then penalize me. Money, interest, maybe a fine. Expecting me to payback money that S.S.or VA gave me, and then taking it back, is just not moral or in any way right.
It's your program Government. Know your own rules.
It's kinda like, no just like, me selling a car to you. Car's supposed to sell for 20,000 but I sell it to you for 10. Call you in a couple of years and say “you owe me 10,000”. How is that any different?
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