Veteran Life Insurance Payouts Remain Unclaimed

According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, over six million dollars have been claimed by veterans and their families in the last three years but millions of dollars still remain unclaimed. This money represents life insurance policy payouts, dividend checks and premium refunds that were mailed to policyholders but could not be delivered.  The Department of Veterans Affairs will hold these payouts indefinitely.

To find out if you or a member of your family is entitled to any of these any unclaimed funds, visit the Department of Veterans Affairs website (https://insurance.va.gov/liability/ufsearch.htm) or call 1-800-669-8477. You can also write to the Department of Veteran Affairs Regional Office and Insurance Center.

To claim funds, you will need to verify the veteran’s full name, date of birth, date of death (if applicable) and the veteran’s VA insurance file number or service number.  The VA insurance file number can be found on enlistment and discharge documents on file at county courthouses. If you are collecting money owed to a deceased veteran, the surviving spouse has access first, followed by children and parents.

Littman Krooks LLP offers legal services in several areas of law including Veterans’ Benefits, Elder Law, Estate and Tax Planning, Public Benefits, Estate Administration/Probate, Trusts and Estate, and Corporate and Securities. For more information about veterans benefits, please visit http://www.elderlawnewyork.com/veterans-benefits/ .