War vet widows wrongly denied benefits

Failure to update computers; money seized from elderly survivors' accounts

WASHINGTON - Widows of war veterans have been wrongfully denied up to millions of dollars in government benefits over the past 12 years because of computer glitches that often resulted in money being seized from the elderly survivors' bank accounts.

The Veterans Affairs Department said Saturday it wasn't fully aware of the problem. It pledged to work quickly to give back the pension and disability checks �?ranging from $100 to more than $2,500 �?that hundreds of thousands of widows should have received during the month of their spouse's death.

"This problem must be fixed," said VA Secretary James Peake. The department indicated in an "action plan" provided to The Associated Press that up to millions of dollars in back payments could be given to widows sometime after next February, once it can identify them.

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28211216/