VA adds $50 to deceased World War II veteran’s 59 cent bill

The widow of a deceased World War II Navy veteran has received a $50 charge for not paying a 59 cent bill addressed to her husband after his death.

After recent media exposure, Helena Perry of Avondale, Pennsylvania, was assured that she did not need to pay a 59 cent fee for her late-husband’s last fitting for a hearing aid. She was assured that she would not incur a penalty on Oct. 11 for disregarding the bill. Apparently, the Veteran Affairs representatives at Wilmington VA Medical Center in Delaware were wrong.

“So now, the balance is 50 dollars and 59 cents,” Ms. Perry told The News Journal Wednesday. “And to avoid late charges, to pay by Nov. 20, 2014,” she added, reading the bill sent to her late husband David.

The VA apologized to Ms. Perry after the first bill and told her not to worry about it, the paper reported. She provided the VA with a death certificate that it requested and even brought to its attention that the 59 cent bill was sent using a 48 cent stamp. Regardless, the $50 penalty — addressed to her husband — showed up in her mailbox this week.

“I think it’s kind of funny,” she told The News Journal. “But it’s ridiculous. They’ll probably take me to jail for opening somebody else’s mail.”