Federal Reports

In accordance with the Reports Consolidation Act of 2000, we are submitting what we have determined to be the most significant management and performance challenges facing the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) for inclusion in the DOI’s Agency Financial Report for fiscal year 2021. We have organized this report around three main challenge areas—“Managing Spending,” “Delivering Core Services,” and “Ensuring Health and Safety”—but note that some topics span multiple challenge areas.

We are pleased to provide the Office of Inspector General (OIG) Quarterly Audit Recommendation Status Report. As of September 30th, 2021, there are 58 open recommendations, 6 of which were reported as “implemented” by management; and 3 of the remaining 52 categorized as “Overdue.” Since the date of the OIG’s last recommendation status report, dated July 30th, 2021, no new recommendations were added, and 11 recommendations were closed.

In April 2021, the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) discovered VBA had incorrectly created a debt of about $210,000 for a veteran. Because of the size of the debt and VA’s plan to withhold the veteran’s entire monthly compensation benefits (over $1,100), and given the veteran’s history of treatment for mental illness, a prior suicide attempt, and suicidal ideation, the review team promptly contacted VBA for corrective action.The debt was created when a VBA employee attempted to correct a disability rating error made more than two years before that had created the overpayment. Subsequently, the overpayment should have been considered an administrative error and the debt waived since veterans are not responsible for repaying overpayments that are found to be the result of administrative errors. However, VBA’s Compensation Service claimed the veteran knew he was not entitled to the payments as VBA had sent him a letter with the cut-off date. The veteran did contact VBA numerous times about the overpayment and was told he had a 100 percent evaluation, making it reasonable to believe he was entitled to the compensation. When VBA proposed reducing the 100 percent evaluation, staff from four offices assured the veteran he would not be responsible for any overpayment.The OIG review team contacted the director of quality assurance for VBA’s Compensation Service on April 22, 2021, and provided a detailed accounting of the case. The Compensation Service recorded a new decision on April 23, 2021, that attributed the debt to administrative error and approved waiving it. The debt was ultimately eliminated from VA’s electronic system on April 30, 2021.The OIG does not request any further action on this case, but VBA should consider steps to avoid this type of error in the future.

This report responds to requests from U.S. Representatives C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger and Kweisi Mfume, for the 2nd and 7th Congressional Districts of MD, respectively, to review mail delivery and customer service operations at select units in the Baltimore, MD, region. In May 2021, Representatives Ruppersberger and Mfume sent letters requesting reviews at several units in the Baltimore region based on an increase in constituent complaints in the months prior.Congressman Ruppersberger requested reviews at the Dundalk Sparrows Point (Dundalk), Essex, Rosedale, Parkville, Middle River, and Towson (served by Loch Raven) branches. His request specifically mentioned constituents not receiving mail, including paychecks and life-saving prescriptions, for weeks at a time. Congressman Mfume’s request specifically mentioned an increased lack of service, non-delivery of mailpieces, and customer service complaints in ZIP Codes 21213 (Clifton East End Station), 21217 (Druid Station), and 21229 (Carroll Station).Our objective was to evaluate mail delivery and customer service operations on selected routes at the following delivery units in the Baltimore, MD, region: Dundalk, Essex, Rosedale, Parkville, Middle River, Loch Raven, Clifton East End, Druid, and Carroll.