Q. My aunt retired from working with the VA in the dietary department.
When she died a few years ago, everyone was notified and a death certificate was sent. Her senior-aged son received what he believed was her pension passed onto him for a few years until his death.
Unfortunately, the bank has informed us that all finances have been frozen by the government because her now deceased son received money he should not have. I would like to know how we can verify this.
Could his mother not have passed her pension onto her only child? We had an attorney to try and help us, but he said this is what the bank is saying and that is that.
A: Only children under age 18 (or age 22, if a full-time student) are entitled to survivor benefits. If he didn’t fit into that category, all he was entitled to was the unexpended amount of her retirement contributions, if any.
