VA policies and procedures are not sufficient to ensure sound decisions on new pension claims, GAO has said.
It said that unlike other federal agencies with similar income-based programs, VA largely does not independently verify the accuracy of financial information provided by claimants to support initial pension program eligibility.
Further, the guidance used by staff to make pension eligibility decisions is not always current or clear, according to GAO-08-112.
It said the department’s assurance review process for initial claims does not select a sufficient number of pension cases to ensure the accuracy of pension claims decisions, and that the VA does not adequately evaluate training for pension staff.
Finally, despite millions of dollars in improper pension payments made each year, VA lacks a system to monitor and analyze their causes, GAO said after reviewing agency policies, procedures, and internal controls, visiting four of VA’s 57 regional offices and all three of its pension maintenance centers, and reviewing new claims at three locations.
