Veterans fear they will lose their homes after ‘train wreck’ of computer glitches

Veterans fear they will lose their homes after a ‘train wreck’ of glitches in technology has left thousands waiting months for vital payments of GI Bill benefits. 

More than 82,000 people are waiting for the benefits because the Department of Veterans Affairs does not have the technology in place to make sure they are paid in time.

Shelley Roundtree, 29, who left the army in 2013 after serving in Afghanistan, was kicked out of his apartment after he did not receive his vital benefits. 

More than 82,000 people are waiting on payments because the Department of Veterans Affairs do not have the technology in place to make sure they are paid in time. File photo

He told NBC News: ‘I’m about to lose everything that I own and become homeless.

‘I don’t want to be that veteran on the street begging for change because I haven’t received what I was promised.’ 

Mr Roundtree, who is studying marketing at Berkeley College in Midtown Manhattan and wants to work in the fashion industry, enrolled in college with tuition and housing benefits he was entitled to under the GI Bill.

But now he has been forced to sleep on his sister’s couch miles away from school.  

Mr Roundtree often has to choose between paying for public transport to get to class or buying food, and he often goes to sleep hungry.

What is the Forever GI Bill? 

President Donald Trump signed the Forever GI Bill in 2017 that brough  significant changes to education benefits for service members, veterans and their families.

It remove the time limit veterans have to use their GI Bill in. Recent veterans and new military members will be able to use their GI Bill ‘forever’.

Anybody who receives a Purple Heart will get the full GI Bill amount no matter how long they served on active duty.

It offererd scholarships for veterans choosing to study science, technology, engineering and math. 

Housing allowance will be based on the campus location where you attend classes, not necessarily the main campus. 

Source: Military Benefits 

He said: ‘Who is helping us? Who is doing what they need to do to better the situation for veterans?’ 

Thousands of veterans are still waiting for the VA to catch up with a backlog created after President Donald Trump signed the Forever GI Bill in 2017.

The landmark legislation provided more help for veterans and their families, including offering scholarships for those choosing to study science, technology, engineering and math.

But the VA did not have the technology in place to pay the backlog of veterans.

IT systems at the office reportedly freeze and crash so often that tasks that once took staff five minutes now require 45 minutes. 

Computers go blank, need restarting, and managers wrote off ‘16,890 man hours due to system crashes or latency issues.’ 

Veterans Benefits Administration had nearly 239,000 pending claims at the end of August this year. 

And thousands of students face eviction or being forced to take on a loan or credit card debt.

Veterans fear they will lose their homes after 'train wreck' of glitches in technology has left thousands waiting months for vital payments of GI Bill benefits. File photo

Veterans fear they will lose their homes after ‘train wreck’ of glitches in technology has left thousands waiting months for vital payments of GI Bill benefits. File photo

President Donald Trump signed the landmark Forever GI Bill in 2017 to provide more help for veterans and their families

President Donald Trump signed the landmark Forever GI Bill in 2017 to provide more help for veterans and their families

A VA spokesperson told NBC News by email that ‘further system changes and modifications are being made and testing is ongoing on the IT solution to fix the delay in monthly stipend payments.’

A hearing is to be held this week by the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to investigate the matter.

A multi-billion dollar information technology company hired by VA to update its system to the Forever GI Bill will be called to testify. 

Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., the chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs said: ‘This is – to be kind – a train wreck. It’s really frustrating the amount of money that Congress has appropriated for veterans, and this is the way VA has rolled it out.’

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk