October 10, 2025
The Navy veteran claims her benefit was reduced from about $4,000 to approximately $1,900 per month.
Jasmina Covington says the Department of Veterans Affairs slashed her monthly disability payments by more than 50% after claiming she worked full-time at a company she insists she never had any affiliation with.
The Navy veteran claims her benefit was reduced from about $4,000 to approximately $1,900 per month. She said she was stunned to learn that VA records showed earnings of $57,947 in 2023 from a packaging company in Duluth, more than 120 miles from her home. Covington said she has never lived in Duluth or worked for that company.
Covington told WSB investigators she reached out to the human resources department at the alleged employer, which confirmed in writing that she was never their employee.
“I’ve never been to Duluth. I’ve never met anybody from Duluth,” she said.
The veteran said the cut has caused severe hardship.
“Now, I got to decide am I going to buy groceries this month or keep the water and the lights on,” she said.
She said she has lost a vehicle and is in danger of losing more financial stability if the benefits aren’t restored.
The VA would not immediately resolve her case. A VA spokesperson told WSB that because of a current government shutdown, the agency cannot investigate immediately, but will forward her case when operations resume.
In the meantime, Covington is pushing for expedited review, saying she must survive on a significantly reduced income. Her case could prompt broader scrutiny of VA procedures for income verification and benefit re-determinations.
Covington is not the only veteran whose benefits have been cut based on an alleged inaccurate work history. In April 2025, WSB-TV reported on 70-year-old Roosevelt Smith. Smith was declared 100% disabled in 2012. A day before his benefits were to be deposited, Smith was informed that the Social Security Administration had evidence of unreported income.
Smith said he has never been to the diner for which he reportedly worked, and the cancellation of his benefits would jeopardize his stability.
“I’ve been in this house since 2018. You can’t pay your mortgage; you can’t be here. I have nowhere to go,” he told WSB-TV.
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