§ 5301 Nonassignability and exempt status of benefits
§ 5302 Waiver of recovery of claims by the United States
§ 5302A Collection of indebtedness: certain debts of members of the Armed Forces and veterans who die of injury incurred or aggravated in the line of duty in a combat zone
§ 5302B Prohibition of debt arising from overpayment due to delay in processing
§ 5303 Certain bars to benefits
§ 5303A Minimum active-duty service requirement
§ 5303B Character of service determinations
§ 5304 Prohibition against duplication of benefits
§ 5305 Waiver of retired pay
§ 5306 Renouncement of right to benefits
§ 5307 Apportionment of benefits
§ 5308 Withholding benefits of persons in territory of the enemy
§ 5309 Payment of certain withheld benefits
§ 5310 Payment of benefits for month of death
§ 5311 Prohibition of certain benefit payments
§ 5312 Annual adjustment of certain benefit rates
§ 5313 Limitation on payment of compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation to persons incarcerated for conviction of a felony
§ 5313A Limitation on payment of clothing allowance to incarcerated veterans
§ 5313B Prohibition on providing certain benefits with respect to persons who are fugitive felons
§ 5314 Indebtedness offsets
§ 5314A Dispute of indebtedness
§ 5315 Interest and administrative cost charges on delinquent payments of certain amounts due the United States
§ 5316 Authority to sue to collect certain debts
§ 5317 Use of income information from other agencies: notice and verification
§ 5317A Use of income information from other agencies: independent verification required before termination or reduction of certain benefits and services
§ 5318 Review of Social Security Administration death information
§ 5319 Limitations on access to financial records
§ 5320 Threshold for reporting debts to consumer reporting agencies

Terms Used In U.S. Code > Title 38 > Part IV > Chapter 53 - Special Provisions Relating to Benefits

  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • Attorney-in-fact: A person who, acting as an agent, is given written authorization by another person to transact business for him (her) out of court.
  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
  • Electronic funds transfer: The transfer of money between accounts by consumer electronic systems-such as automated teller machines (ATMs) and electronic payment of bills-rather than by check or cash. (Wire transfers, checks, drafts, and paper instruments do not fall into this category.) Source: OCC
  • Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Fair Debt Collection Practices Act: The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act is a set of United States statutes added as Title VIII of the Consumer Credit Protection Act. Its purpose is to ensure ethical practices in the collection of consumer debts and to provide consumers with an avenue for disputing and obtaining validation of debt information in order to ensure the information's accuracy. It is often used in conjunction with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Source: OCC
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • individual: shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. See 1 USC 8
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
  • Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. Source: OCC
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
  • writing: includes printing and typewriting and reproductions of visual symbols by photographing, multigraphing, mimeographing, manifolding, or otherwise. See 1 USC 1