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The VA has extended the deadline for people who owe money to the department to ask for a waiver or debt reduction from 180 days to one year (effectively moving from about six months to 12 months). This change, which takes effect on January 26, 2026, gives veterans and their families an extra six months to apply for relief before the government escalates collection activity. It also adds a formal backstop: if a person didn’t get the VA notice on time because of a VA error, a postal problem, or other circumstances beyond their control, the VA’s Waivers and Compromises Chairperson can push the deadline out and start the clock from when the notice was actually received.
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This is a modest but concrete shift toward more claimant-friendly administrative practice—more time to seek relief can reduce stress and the chance someone faces collection actions before they can ask for a waiver. It will require the VA to update notice language, train staff, and manage potentially more or later waiver requests, which could slow some collection timelines and have small budget or workload effects. The rule is narrowly focused (it changes only the filing window and the circumstances for extensions) and applies from the effective date of January 26, 2026; anyone with a debt should watch the timing on their VA notices and the record of actual receipt.
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