A watchdog report finds Veterans Affairs incorrectly processed disability claims from veterans and underpaid benefits that some veterans were eligible for. The PACT Act passed in 2022 expanded eligibility for veterans exposed to toxic substances during their military service. But the VA inspector general’s office found claims processors sometimes requested unnecessary medical exams which delayed processing and burdened veterans. The IG report found nearly 900 potential processing errors that could affect veterans’ benefits. ( Staff incorrectly processed claims when denying veterans’ benefits for presumptive disabilities under the PACT Act – VA OIG)
The Office of Personnel Management’s decades long effort to modernize its retirement systems is getting a big funding boost. The Technology Modernization Fund Board awarded OPM $18.3 million to accelerate OPM’s migration off mainframe and legacy systems. OPM will also use the money to improve the program’s cybersecurity and data management. In addition to OPM, the board awarded $1.34 million dollars to the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review to modernize its case management system. DoJ said the upgrade also will allow them to automatically accept documents. This is OPM’s third TMF award and the Justice Department’s second.( TMF announces investments to modernize federal retirement and immigration systems – GSA )
President-elect Donald Trump has taken another key step in the transition planning process. The Department of Justice can now start conducting background checks on Trump’s nominees and appointees. That’s after Trump transition officials signed a memorandum of understanding with DOJ on Tuesday. Last week, Trump’s team also reached an agreement with the White House, allowing for coordination between transition staff and current federal employees. Both agreements come after weeks of delay. The president-elect, however, has declined to sign a third contract to access secure office space and email accounts, in part because it would require an ethics agreement and set contribution limits.( Trump team signs agreement to allow Justice to conduct background checks on nominees, staff – Federal News Network )
Many agencies are still struggling to meet accessibility requirements for their digital assets. A year after the General Service Administration’s inaugural Section 508 assessment, […]
Veterans denied benefits under PACT Act due to incorrectly processed claims
