so when the "two weeks" stall didn't work, they killed him off administratively in an effort to avoid paying‘I’m still alive:’ Florida veteran mistakenly declared dead by VA fights for benefits
It was only after News4JAX reached out to the VA that Sample received a direct deposit for the thousands of dollars he was owed.A spokesperson said: “VA resumed Mr. Sample’s benefits payments May 7, and we are issuing a retroactive payment to him as well. He should receive that in 7-10 days. We regret the error and apologize for the inconvenience.”
Sample, who says he was injured while serving when a Bradley vehicle hatch crushed his right hip, was approved for disability benefits in January. But more than five months later, he was still waiting to receive his payments. The only compensation he says he received from the VA was a $7 check — mailed months late — for a reason he still does not understand.
He said he contacted Congressman John Rutherford’s office, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, local Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), and VA hotlines, but said every inquiry was met with either silence or automated responses.
“Everybody says two weeks. It’s been five or six months,” he said.
Beyond the administrative nightmare, Sample said his healthcare has been minimal or denied outright.
“They told me I was refusing treatment because I wanted an alternative [prescription]. So they haven’t given me any prescriptions,” he said. “They’ve cut off my mental health care three times. Actually, they just cut it off last week as well.”
Sample described an initial wait of more than nine months to see a mental health professional, only to be told in sessions that certain topics were off-limits.
“Every session, I’d sit there and couldn’t talk about the things that were actually bothering me,” he said.
‘I’m still alive:’ Florida veteran mistakenly declared dead by VA fights for benefits
An Army veteran in Florida is speaking out after being mistakenly declared dead by the Department of Veterans Affairs.Tiffany Salameh (ClickOrlando | Orlando, Florida News, Local Headlines | WKMG News 6")
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