Fight to end widows benefit offset goes on

[unhappycamper]

Fight to end widows benefit offset goes on
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Mar 16, 2009 18:15:29 EDT

A bipartisan group of more than 160 lawmakers has promised to increase government benefits for about 57,000 survivors of service members who died while on active duty.

But the lawmakers did not explain where they will find the estimated $480 million that would be needed to cover the cost.

With the Obama administration talking about trying to hold down the costs of government entitlements, and defense officials worried about not having enough money in future budgets for modernizing weapons and other priorities, it is hard to see how the outcome for survivors will be different from what has happened over the past five years when Congress has dangled the promise of better benefits before widows, only to disappoint them in the end.

Edie Smith, a member of Gold Star Wives who has been working for more than 20 years to get the offset eliminated, said money has been the main obstacle, and Pentagon opposition to changing the rules hasn’t helped.

The Military Officers Association of America estimates that 57,000 survivors are hurt by law that reduces Survivor Benefit Plan payments by the Defense Department by any amount received in Dependent Indemnity Compensation from the Veterans Affairs Department. For most, the offset reduces survivor benefits by $1,154 a month.


Rest of article at: http://armytimes.com/news/2009/03/military_widows_SBPoffset_031609w/%2e



uhc comment: Looking for $480 million? Get out of Iraq a day earlier.