Hey all, I have this debt from the VA that was incurred when I got activated from the reserves. I was still getting disability payments while on active duty, and usually, the VA would just garnish it when I came off active duty. But now their policy changed, and I was kept on active duty for a few extra years. They sent the debt to the US Treasury Dept, and now they’re adding this massive admin fee. Navy Legal couldn’t help me out since it’s another government org. I don’t dispute the debt, but I’m wondering if there are any protections under the SCRA for this admin fee or if I just need to suck it up and pay it… anyone have advice? 
I’m pretty sure SCRA doesn’t cover fees like that. It mostly applies to interest rates on debts from before your service. I think you’re out of luck there. 
Sage said:
I’m pretty sure SCRA doesn’t cover fees like that. It mostly applies to interest rates on debts from before your service. I think you’re out of luck there.
Yeah, I had the same issue when I was on active duty. I ended up having to pay the fee, but I definitely feel your pain. 
@Valentine
Ugh, sucks that there’s nothing to help with that. Maybe you could at least try negotiating the fee down? Couldn’t hurt to ask.
Just to clarify, you’re saying the debt started AFTER you got activated, right? SCRA only helps with things that happened before, so that’s probably why it doesn’t apply here.
Vale said:
Just to clarify, you’re saying the debt started AFTER you got activated, right? SCRA only helps with things that happened before, so that’s probably why it doesn’t apply here.
Yep, exactly. I thought it would cover it too, but I guess that’s not the case. Guess I’ll just have to pay it then. Thanks for the clarification!
Man, the US Treasury dept has some serious fees. I’ve been through something similar and had no idea about these protections. It really feels like we get stuck with everything. 
Avery said:
Man, the US Treasury dept has some serious fees. I’ve been through something similar and had no idea about these protections. It really feels like we get stuck with everything.
Yeah, it’s pretty frustrating. They don’t really make it easy for service members to get help. Hope you get it sorted soon though!
I know it’s not much help, but you could try calling them and explaining your situation. They sometimes waive fees if you show them your active duty status.
Zen said:
I know it’s not much help, but you could try calling them and explaining your situation. They sometimes waive fees if you show them your active duty status.
That’s a good idea. I’ll try calling them and see if they’ll work with me on that. Thanks for the tip!
I had a similar thing with my VA debt, and I just paid it off over time. It took a while, but they were pretty flexible once I set up a payment plan. Maybe worth asking about that option?
Merit said:
I had a similar thing with my VA debt, and I just paid it off over time. It took a while, but they were pretty flexible once I set up a payment plan. Maybe worth asking about that option?
I’ll check with them about setting up a payment plan. I’d rather do that than just pay the whole thing at once. Thanks for the suggestion!