New financial tool provides Veterans more control and transparency

Any Veteran with a debt related to VA benefits can now access their debt information online using a new debt management tool. VA’s Office of Information and Technology (OIT) launched the digital tool to make it easier

for Veterans to manage their debt. When a Veteran logs onto the tool using their VA.gov log-in information, they can download their debt notification letter and easily access:

Their current and historical debt.Their balance.Status.

Veterans can also use the tool to access existing payment options available by clicking on the “How do I pay VA debt related to disability, education, home loan, or pension benefits” drop-down menu. In addition, Veterans can also use the tool to find information about available flexible repayment options and what to do if they disagree with the debt.

VA’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Charles Worthington applauded the developers who collaborated to bring this innovative digital solution to deployment.

“At VA, our number one priority is delivering excellent customer service to our Veterans,” he said. “It has been incredible to see VA staff from across the agency come together and quickly deliver creative solutions to new problems. The development and deployment of the debt management portal is a great example of VA’s commitment to using new technologies to improve our services.”

Prior to the tool’s launch, the only way in which a Veteran learned of their debt was through a debt notification letter. To avoid the potential for a Veteran to suffer adverse action with regard to their debt by relying solely on paper notifications, the online tool means Veterans can view the status of their debt anytime.

The financial management tool is a result of OIT’s work aligned to the Benefits and Transactions Act of 2018, in which VA was charged with developing a way for Veterans to access their debt information electronically. Working closely with VA’s Debt Management Center, OIT began developing the online tool to deliver the most value to Veterans and fulfill the requirements of the legislation. OIT used human-centered design to develop the digital tool and tested it directly with Veterans to ensure that it met Veterans’ real-life needs.

Since launching, 46,000 Veterans have used the debt management tool to view their debt information. As usage of the tool continues to grow, the Office of the CTO will monitor performance and feedback and will update the tool’s features as needed. The development and launch of the debt management tool is another way VA is reaffirming our commitment to provide Veterans an exceptional customer experience.

VA’s Office of Information and Technology (OIT), Washington, D.C. OIT is always seeking to improve customer service to ensure VA consistently delivers exceptional customer service to our Veterans.

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