To achieve efficient administration of the Special Veterans Benefit (SVB) program, we require you (or your representative) to report certain events to us. It is important for us to know about these events because they may affect your right to receive SVB or the amount of your benefits. This subpart tells you what events you must report; what your reports must include; how you should make your report; and when reports are due.

(a) If you receive your own benefits, you are responsible for making required reports to us.

(b) If you have a representative payee, and you have not been legally adjudged incompetent, either you or your representative payee must make the required reports.

(c) If you have a representative payee and you have been legally adjudged incompetent, you are not responsible for making reports to us; however, your representative payee is responsible for making required reports to us.

This section describes the events that you must report to us. They are—

(a) A change of address or residence. You must report to us any change in your mailing address and any change in your residence, i.e., the address where you live.

(b) A change in your other benefit income. You must report to us any increase or decrease in your other benefit income as described in § 408.220.

(c) Certain deaths. (1) If you are a representative payee, you must report the death of the entitled individual.

(2) If you have a representative payee, you must report the death of your representative payee.

(d) Entry into the United States. You must report to us if you enter the United States to visit or live even if you have no intention of abandoning your residence outside the United States.

(e) Removal (including deportation) from the United States. You must report to us if you are removed (including deported) from the United States under section 237(a) or 212(a)(6)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

(f) Fleeing to avoid criminal prosecution or custody or confinement after conviction, or violating probation or parole. You must report to us that you are—

(1) Fleeing to avoid prosecution, under the laws of the United States or the jurisdiction within the United States from which you flee, for a crime, or an attempt to commit a crime, which is a felony under the laws of the place from which you flee (or which, in the case of the State of New Jersey, is a high misdemeanor under the laws of that State);

(2) Fleeing to avoid custody or confinement after conviction under the laws of the United States or the jurisdiction within the United States from which you flee, for a crime, or an attempt to commit a crime, which is a felony under the laws of the place from which you flee (or which, in the case of the State of New Jersey, is a high misdemeanor under the laws of that State); or

(3) Violating a condition of probation or parole imposed under Federal or State law.

When you make a report, you must tell us—

(a) The name and social security number of the person to whom the report applies;

(b) The event you are reporting and the date it happened; and

(c) Your name if you are not the person to whom the report applies.

You should make your report in any of the ways described in this section.

(a) Written reports. You may write a report on your own paper or on a printed form supplied by us. You may mail a written report or bring it to one of our offices.

(b) Oral reports. You may report to us by telephone, or you may come to one of our offices and tell one of our employees what you are reporting.

(c) Other methods of reporting. You may use any other suitable method of reporting—for example, a telegram or a cable.

(a) A reportable event happens. You should report to us as soon as an event listed in § 408.708 happens.

(b) We request a report. We may request a report from you if we need information to determine continuing entitlement or the correct amount of your SVB payments. If you do not make the report within 30 days of our written request, we may determine that you may not continue to receive SVB. We will suspend your benefits effective with the month following the month in which we determine that you are not entitled to receive SVB because of your failure to give us necessary information (see § 408.803).