Veterans fume after VA partially blames them for overpayments it claws back

[BumRushDaShow]

7. The day after my mom died a decade ago

I contacted both OPM (since she was getting a survivor's annuity and also had BCBS under FEHB for health insurance) and SS (which she was also getting as a survivor) to let them know and sent them anything they requested to verify (don't recall the whole process but I expect it included the death certificate).

I did the same with her life insurer (she had her own term insurance), bank, her single credit card, her cable service, and then until we sold the house, I paid the utilities (gas, electric, water/sewer, telephone), her homeowner's insurance (she had paid the real estate taxes literally a few days before she passed), and kept track of every payment (and had a spreadsheet). My sis had an estate lawyer take care of her final income taxes.

I didn't wait and assume they would magically "know".