“I had made more than a dozen phone calls.”

Captain Smith (name changed for privacy) of Commerce Township contacted my office because he was having difficulty receiving his retirement pay from the United States Navy after nearly 30 years of service — both active duty and reserve. Despite being eligible for his retirement benefits on his 60th birthday, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) did not receive his records until 10 months after his eligibility date. By the time he contacted my office in October, it had been over a year since his eligibility date and he had yet to receive the retirement payments he was due.

My staff promptly reached out to DFAS on his behalf and was able to ensure Captain Smith’s payments were issued within 30 days, providing him $40,355 in due backpay as well as securing his monthly pension.

“I greatly appreciated how quickly I was contacted by Congresswoman Stevens’ staff and the efficient follow-up on all actions,” said Captain Smith. “I also greatly appreciated the staff’s recognition that my issue was systemic and their expressed willingness to engage on this topic at a system/process level. I had made more than a dozen phone calls and untold hours on hold in trying to resolve this myself without making any progress or obtaining any hope of progress. Thank you!”

How I Can Help:

If you are experiencing an issue with a federal agency, my office is here to be your advocate. If you are unable to reach an agency, are seeking the status of your application or claim, or are seeking assistance with navigation with the federal government, please give my district office a call at 734–853–3040. My staff can often help answer questions and find relevant resources. While we cannot guarantee you a favorable outcome, we will do our best to help you receive a fair and timely response to your problem. To learn more about the services my office may be able to provide, please click here.