US Navy veteran John Wray uses a knife to cut up a car dealership sized American Flag with stars 12-inches across, so that it could be burned Saturday morning.
San Diego, California – Sky Lowe, a 25-year-old U.S. Navy veteran, found himself in the most bizarre of situations last October—his government told him he was dead. The letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) stated that Lowe’s benefits had been suspended after a payment had been returned, leading the VA to believe that he had passed away.
“I remember just being super confused,” Lowe shared in an interview. “I was laughing at first. I would tell people, ‘I’m technically declared dead.’ They’d be like, ‘Dead man walking. Seen a ghost.’”
Despite the bizarre nature of the error, Lowe was far from laughing when he realized the serious implications of being labeled deceased. He had recently moved to a new apartment and had informed the VA of his address change, but he believes that the system still had issues updating his information.
After immediately contacting the VA, an employee acknowledged that the mistake was clear and promised it would be resolved quickly. But the situation didn’t improve. For months, Lowe found himself stuck in an endless loop of calls and emails with no resolution. “The very least y’all can do is just communicate, ‘Hey, give us two weeks,’” Lowe said. “But it’s been months and months.”
Lowe, a full-time college student studying business, relies on his disability benefits to make ends meet. Last year, he was awarded a 40% disability rating for his Navy service, which allowed him to rent an apartment in Grantville while balancing his coursework and part-time job. But without the benefits payments, Lowe began missing bills and rent payments, leading to an eviction notice.
“I just want to know what’s happening honestly,” Lowe said. “I’m actively trying my best to pay my bills and do everything I can.”
The confusion didn’t stop at the benefits issue. While the VA mistakenly believed Lowe was dead, some part of the agency still processed his tuition payments under the G.I. Bill, allowing him to continue his studies. But the lack of disability payments left him struggling financially.
Finally, after NBC 7 reached out to the VA on Lowe’s behalf, Lowe received a call notifying him that his benefits had been reinstated, and back payments were being issued. However, Lowe’s financial problems weren’t resolved overnight. With unpaid rent, overdue bills, and a car note in arrears, Lowe remains uncertain about his future.
“I’m behind on my car note. My electricity bill is due. And it’s just like, I don’t have the resources to pay all of these,” he explained. “I would’ve gone out of my way to do this sooner if I knew it was going to be like this.”
The delays Lowe experienced are part of a much larger issue within the VA. At present, over 930,000 active claims for disability compensation and pension are pending, a backlog that worsened during the pandemic. The average time to process a claim is 125 days, with 26.5% of claims sitting in the backlog.
For Lowe, it took 169 days to resolve his claim, and that only happened after the media got involved. While he’s grateful for the back payments, Lowe’s financial troubles continue, leaving him to wonder what other veterans in similar situations are facing.
The VA has acknowledged the mistake and the delay in processing Lowe’s claim, stating that they have corrected the error and resumed his benefits retroactively. But for veterans like Lowe, this story is just one example of the growing problems faced by those who served their country.
