Veterans Win $7.4 Million Settlement in Federal Debt Collection Class Action

Washington, DC: A $7.4 million settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit brought against the United States government by military veterans.

The suit alleged that the government's methods of recovering debt owed by veterans for purchases made on military bases was not acceptable because the debts incurred had reached the 10 year statute of limitations.

In 2007, Julius Briggs, a disabled army veteran, filed the lawsuit after the US government kept about $2,300 in tax refunds to pay down a $1,857 debt he incurred buying uniforms and other items on base in 1993.

According to media reports, some 6,700 former military will receive $10,000 each from the settlement, which was approved in court Thursday, January 28th.

The Wall Street Journal has reported that the class action is the first to challenge a federal agency's debt collection tactics.