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Bill gives surviving spouses of fully disabled veterans access to VA loans

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx’s (NC-05) bipartisan legislation that fixes a flaw in the VA home loan system passed the House last night as part of H.R. 2433, the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act.  Her bill, the Disabled Veterans’ Surviving Spouses Home Loans Act, provides access to VA home loans for surviving spouses of permanently disabled veterans whose deaths are not necessarily attributed to their service-related disability. 

“As we approach Veterans Day, we should ask ourselves if this Congress doing all that can be done for our veterans,” Foxx said before the House. (video) “This bill maintains our promise not only to the men and women that have served in the Armed Forces, but to their families as well.”

Foxx’s legislation (H.R. 120) gives disabled veterans with permanent and total disabilities the peace of mind that their surviving spouses will be able to benefit from the VA Home Loan Guaranty after their death.

Under current law, most surviving spouses of veterans whose deaths were not service-connected, but who had permanent, service-connected disabilities, are eligible to receive monthly compensation payments from the VA.  These same spouses could not, however qualify for a VA home loan.  Foxx’s bill, which passed the House as part of H.R. 2433, corrects this problem by making these spouses eligible for the loan.

The Disabled American Veterans, America Legion, the MOAA and the VFW endorsed her legislation. The 2.1 million member Veterans of Foreign Wars stated in a letter of support that “allowing a military widow to utilize the VA home loan program is the right thing to do.”